A Lonely Heart and A Lost Soul
by WolfOfRome
Summary: Discover how Balto came to be. How his mother met his father and the endearing love story between them as their two worlds collide. Will their love be able to stand in the face of all the coming challenges? Or will it break apart before their very eyes?
1. A Lost Soul in Need

A/N: Well this is my first fanfic ever so please let me know what you guys think. I'd love comments and reviews after every chapter. Let me know I you are confused about something and I'll try to explain in another Author's Note or in the next chapter.

By the way I got this Story Idea from one of the best writers on this site, Omnitrix 12, so you can read his original version of how this all starts and see what you think.

And now, let the story unfold...

1: A Lonely Soul in Need

The wind howled around him as the storm persisted. He could not feel anything but the numbing sting of ice and snow as it was thrown against his fur and the fading warmth of the bodies that surrounded him as they slowly, one by one, passed into the Void.

He lifted his head just enough to see over the bodies that had huddled around him when life still sparked in their eyes. He looked out into the menacing storm but realized he could make out no detail beyond the swirl of snowflakes as they crashed down from the conflicted sky. All he could see was the destruction that the blizzard had left behind. The mangled heap of his musher, still and cold having not moved from where he had been thrown from the sled and the lifeless bodies huddled against him that had done everything they could to keep their lead dog safe and survive the blowing cyclone.

He appreciated the effort and didn't want his friends and comrades to die in vain but he could feel the storm slowly sucking the life from him as the cold ebbed its way into his body and darkness formed at the edges of his vision.

He was prepared to leave this world if he must as he had no real ties anymore. He had no family other than the one he had made while on the sled team. They were all gone now though and he realized that he was joyed that he would soon see them again.

He was about to close his eyes and rest his head down for the last time, when suddenly two piercing lights shone down on him and felt the darkness surrounding him creep back a little as he stared into those two wonderfully circles of light.

A small black dot soon followed the two blinding lights and at first he was confused. Was one of the lights not working? And why did the dot look suspiciously like a nose?

As the three orbs approached he realized that a shape began to form around them. The shape of another dog staring at him with the piercing lights for eyes and small black dot of a nose. The dog's shape seemed odd somehow though. It looked slimmer but also stronger at the same time.

He tried to call to the other canine for help but the only sound to escape his throat was a hoarse cry of pain as he realized how dry his mouth actually was after the constant exposure to the cold.

Having used the last of his energy reserves, he slumped over with his chin on the back of one of his companions and slowly let his eyes fall shut. But before they had fully closed he saw the dog lift its head towards the heavens and let out a long howl.

He thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard as he blacked out and faded into oblivion...


	2. Soul Searching

2: Soul Searching

She had not expected this. She had thought she would go out for a quick hunt by herself and get a rabbit or two before the storm came.

As she prepared herself for her hunt, her father walked over and gently gave an affectionate nuzzle to her cheek. "Be swift my little huntress, I do not wish to see you caught in the approaching storm."

"I will father," she replied before exiting her pack's den site and into the surrounding forest.

Under normal circumstances she would have been able to find and kill small prey easy but with the first blizzard of the approaching winter blowing all the animals had gone to ground in order to find shelter from the ensuing storm.

She trekked several kilometers before she finally caught a whiff of prey. 'A rabbit about half a kilometer upwind from my position.' she thought to herself as she turned and made her way in the direction of her awaiting meal.

By the time she finally caught sight of the rabbit, it had already begun to lightly snow. 'I must hurry if I'm to make it back before the real storm hits.' She realized.

She stalked the rabbit a little farther until she was within pouncing distance. She waited for it to put its head back down to nibble the sparse gras before she pounced! There was a startled cry then all was silent as her kill stopped thrashing between her jaws and released its last breath.

"Thank you for your sacrifice." She said to the limp animal as she set it down and began feasting.

Within minutes she had finished and rose from where she had been lying on her stomach while she ate to begin the journey home. She was almost there when a new scent had hit her nose. One she had never smelt before but seemed very familiar. Curious, she decided to check it out as she reasoned that she had a little while before the snow began to fall too hard for her to navigate her way back home.

So she trotted after the mysterious scent and heading off at a right angle to the path to her den site.

Looking back on it now she realized that it probably wasn't the wisest decision to go exploring with a storm brewing very close by but she realized that if she could go back and do it all again, she wouldn't have changed her choice for the world...


	3. New Faces, New Pain

3: New Faces, New Pain

Trajan woke up slowly, His head swimming. He opened his eyes cautiously to find himself in a small cave. It appeared to be empty so he tried to stand in order to check the surrounding area. But the moment he was straight up, he toppled back down and landed with a thump and groan.

He heard a muffled giggle from the behind him and he slowly inched his body around so he could see the new person and possibly be ready for an attack.

But Trajan wasn't ready. There was nothing he could do to prepare himself for what he was about to experience. As he turned he saw the most elegant and beautiful wolf he had ever laid eyes on. She stood stoically and proudly. Her fur was as white as freshly fallen snow and under her fine coat he could see an abundance of strength that complimented her perfect angelic form.

But her most stunning feature were her eyes. They were a golden brown that seemed to sparkle eleven in the dim light of the cave. They reminded him of a summer day's sun. The intensity of the gaze so bright and full that it seemed near impossible to stare into them for any period of time. But hear he was gazing into their endless pools with his mouth hanging open like and idiot while she studied him with a slight smile on her face.

Trajan felt that he must be dead for the only explanation for such a beautiful creature was that she was an angel.

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Am I dead?"

She giggled again then responded, "No. But you were very close to death when I found you. Quite frankly I didn't expect you to recover after the experience you had."

Trajan was at first confused by this. Then the truth hit him like a train. 'My Team!' He mentally screamed. Remembering the teammates and friends he had been with when the freak storm had hit and caused heavy tree branch to fall on them, effectively snagging the racing team and throwing the musher into a hidden rock where he had hit his head and never moved. Lastly, Trajan remembered his team huddling around him for warmth as they all tried to find shelter in the merciless storm, and how he had failed them all. They had looked to him for guidance and he had let them die.

Trajan began to sob quietly as all the memories from the pervious day washed over him in a tidal wave of pain...


	4. Who's This?

4: Who's This?

She found him near dead in the middle of a heap of bodies all mostly buried in snow. She noticed that most had died a while ago from exposure and extreme cold but somehow he had managed to survive. Based on the scent and depth of the snow he had been here for several hours now just waiting to die.

It didn't seem to want to come to him though. He had survived while his 'pack' had perished. Why? Aniu couldn't figure out how any dog could have survived this weather for such a long time. But here he was. Alive.

She decided that he would need shelter if she was going to keep him that she set off to find a suitable den for him when she stopped suddenly. 'When did this mutt become my concern?' she thought, 'I could just leave him out her to freeze and I doubt I would lose much sleep over it. So why should I care?' 'Because you admire his strength and will to live.' Answered the voice in the back of her head. She let out a growl as she realized it was right and continued searching.

It didn't take long for her to find one and she quickly collected a small pile of dead leaves and pine boughs for the dog to sleep on then returned to the crash site.

The storm was no blowing with its full force and she knew her parents and pack would be very worried about her right now as she hadn't yet returned but she had bigger problems at the moment to worry about.

As she crawled through the bodies of the deceased dogs she couldn't help feeling a little guilty as she had to nudge some of them out of the way in order to reach the center where the sole survivor was.

When she finally arrived by his side she noticed that his breaths were very shallow and harsh and his chest barely rose. Aniu knew that she had to get this dog out of the storm and fast.

She wormed her way under the center of the dog until he was draped over the middle of her prone form creating perpendicular angles with her body. Aniu lifted the husky but not without a grunt of exertion as she took on his full body weight. She carefully made her way back to the small cave she had previously prepared and set him down gently on the bed. She moved to cover his body wit hers as to provide him with her body heat as the storm waged on outside the small den...

A FEW HOURS LATER...

Aniu, who had been keeping an eye over the dog for the past few hours after she felt. his body temperature rising again noticed him waking and decided not to move as she wanted to see if the dog would do something foolish such as try to stand. She didn't know much about dogs and she wanted to understand his behavior before she revealed herself.

The dog did indeed try to stand and Aniu couldn't suppress a giggle from escaping her as she saw the dog's attempt end with him toppling over in a heap while releasing a cute little groan. 'Wait. Cute... Where did that come from?' Though she had to admit that this strange dog did fascinate her.

She thought back to when she had first seen him. She had been confused. She had thought that he had been another wolf in the middle of a pack and she had been terrified for her life but she soon saw the damaged sled dead musher and realized that he must be a sled-dog. She had never seen a dog before as she was only one summer old and had never strayed out of her pack's territory. The dog shared many characteristics as a wolf only he was shorter than most of the males she knew and he didn't seem to have as much muscle as a wolf, though he was definitely not weak or he wouldn't have recovered after his near death encounter.

She noticed him staring at her now with his jaw hanging slack and she couldn't stop a small smile from spreading across her muzzle. 'Yes.' She thought, 'he is definitely interesting.'

Aniu was brought back from her thoughts as the dog loudly asked, "Am I dead?"

Again, She couldn't help but let out a little giggle at the bluntness of the dog. 'I'm going to have to work on controlling my emotions'. she thought before replying that no he wasn't dead but was very close to death when she had found him.

She noticed a look of complete horror come over his face as he seemed to realize the truth. Aniu felt terrible and wanted to be comfort the now sobbing dog but she wasn't sure how so she simply looked on with a pained expression.

When she noticed that the dog had stopped sobbing but continued sniffling she carefully walked over and placed herself to his right about three feet away from him.

She knew that he had noticed her moving as his ears had twitched up but he simply turned his head away as Aniu attempted to put herself in his line of vision. She was further confused by his actions and moved around tothe dog's other side trying to get him to notice her.

But as she moved around him she caught a change in his breathing and saw that his eyes were now closed and his face had lost some of its somber look though sadness still obviously remained. 'He must have been more tired than I realized' she thought as she reached the conclusion that he had fallen asleep.

She yawned as well and decided to curl up for a nap too. She hadn't realized how tired she had been until now. Hauling the dog all the way to the cave through the heavy snow and blowing storm must have taken more out of her than she thought...


	5. Close Quarters

**A/N: Hey everybody. 5th chapter, hear it is. I will probably continue writing an A/N every 5th chapter or so in order to summarize what has happened or maybe a sneak peek at what will happen.**

 **Well so far we have seen Aniu and Trajan meet unceremoniously but they don't know each other very well at all as Trajan has just passed out again. Hopefully he will awake soon...**

5: Close Quarters

Aniu woke to the sound of shallow breathing and whimpering. She raised her head still blinking away the sleep from her eyes. She saw the sled-dog and noticed him shivering and that he was the source of the noise.

She glanced outside and from what she could tell, only about an hour had passed and the blizzard still thundered on fiercely. She got up and walked over to the dog. She curled up behind him to share her warmth and as she felt their fur brush, she noticed that he seemed to relax little. His breathing returned to normal and his whimpering quieted yet he still seemed tense as he shivered.

Throwing caution to the wind outside, She crawled around to the dog's other side where he had curled inwards. She nudged his paws out of the way and curled up against his chest and stomach.

The dog slowly stopped shivering and seemed to relax as he felt the warmth spread through him. He unconsciously curled around the source of heat and Aniu soon found herself wrapped in a warming embrace.

She felt color rise to her cheeks as she found that she didn't mind the close contact. She actually kind of enjoyed it.

"What is wrong with me?" She asked nobody. "These beasts hunt us along with their human masters and here I am enjoying the embrace of one. They are supposed to be savage creatures with no feelings at all." She pondered this as she relaxed and allowed her companions own body heat to seep into her, warming her body and heart...


	6. Introductions

**6: Introductions**

Trajan awoke to bright light shining on his closed eyelids and a warmth he had never felt before. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the bright sun reflecting off the new layer of fresh snow outside the cave.

Remembering the events of the last 24 hours, Trajan let out a shaky breath and felt his heart shaking. He remembered his dead teammates and friends and his poor musher. He also remembered why he wasn't dead and looked around the cave to see if the beautiful she-wolf had stayed.

He didn't see he until he felt a slight shuffle against his chest and heard a small whimper. He looked down and was surprised to find the stunning wolf curled against his chest. He remembered waking to a bright light and a warm feeling and quickly leapt backwards with a yelp followed by a whimper as he was still very weak from his experience in the snow storm so he landed with a heavy thump.

Aniu, awoken by the sudden loss of warmth and sharp noise, glanced up and saw the dog lying several feet away from her and staring at her with fear. She slowly stood, yawned, and stretched, awaking her cramped muscles. She noticed that the whole time the dog didn't take his eyes off her and she couldn't help but feel a little hurt by his lack of trust given that she had saved his life.

When she fully felt awake she trotted over to where the dog was lying, granting her a small growl from him. She stopped about a foot from him and sat waiting for him to stop growling.

When he didn't she said, "There's no need for that, if I had wanted you dead, I would have left you in the blizzard."

Trajan considered this and allowed the growl to die down and the she-wolf to approach. She inspected him quickly and noticed that he still had a few minor injuries but they would heal quickly. As she finished her inspection, she heard his stomach rumble then felt her own turn over as she realized how hungry she was too.

She made her way to the entrance of the cave and was about to leave when she heard him say, "Wait! Who are you? Where are you going?"

"I am Aniu, daughter of Matra and Alaquis, and heir to the Bear Mountain pack," She responded. "And I was going to find us something to eat. But first, who are you?"

"I, uh... Trajan"

"Good, now Trajan, stay here and don't move. Do not try to stand or leave or you won't make it very far before you fall and injure yourself more. You must rest if you are to heal." And with that she was gone leaving Trajan to wonder if she was planning to come back at all...


	7. Alone with One's Thoughts

**7: Alone With One's Thoughts**

Trajan looked around the cave for the forth time looking to see if anything had changed since the last time he looked. Nothing had. letting out a long breath, he crawled back over to the soft bed that had been made for him and tried to curl back up and sleep. But he couldn't. He had too much on his mind.

For example, why had the she-wolf, Aniu, saved him. Based on the stories that he had heard back in Nome, wolves were savage beasts incapable of showing mercy or having any civilized thought.

Also, why had she been sleeping curled up against him. There were other, less..intimate ways to share body heat. As he pondered his predicament and feelings a she-wolf deep in the forest did the same...

Aniu had been tracking a third rabbit to bring back to Trajan. She had already eaten the first two and knew she would need at least one more after this one if she was going to properly feed the injured sled-dog.

But her thoughts kept distracting her. What had she been thinking last night? She had cuddled right up to the dog as if he were her mate. But that was crazy. He was just a dog and she was the next in line for the title of Alpha. Her pack was relying on her to make the right decision for a mate. One who is strong, loyal, brave, and kind. Not some mutt she'd picked up on the side of a trail.

She pushed her conflicting emotions down and allowed her senses to expand and feel the forest around her as she had lost track of the rabbit. She allowed her enhanced wolf instinct kick in and she could suddenly see, hear, and smell everything around her.

Then, she heard it. The light snap of a twig. Too much pressure for a squirrel but too light for a deer. A rabbit or other small prey she guessed. As she turned her nose in that direction she caught a whiff of what it was and her suspicions were confirmed. It was another rabbit, maybe a kilometer north.

She set off in the rabbit's direction, unaware of the hunting party that had caught her scent and was on her trail...


	8. To Eat Like a Wolf

**8: How to Eat Like a Wolf**

Trajan was disturbed by the sound of someone entering the small cave that he now called home. He looked up and saw Aniu walking in with two rabbits between her jaws. At the sight of food Trajan's stomach let out a mighty roar equal to that of a bear's.

He slowly stood up and limped over to where Aniu had dropped the meal and was shaking snow out of her glistening coat. He took a quick sniff at the rabbits as he wasn't sure how to eat it. All of his previous meals had been prepared for him. He rarely ate raw meat and even then it had already been skinned and cleaned. He decided to try some and took a bite out of the one of the rabbit's legs. But as he tried to swallow he started coughing and spitting as the fur caught in his throat.

Aniu who had watched with a knowing smile as Trajan had taken a bite couldn't help but let out a light laugh as he began choking on the fur. She watched as he shook his head back and forth and shot little balls of fluff from his mouth onto the ground as he slowly recovered.

Aniu lied down next to him and began skinning the other rabbit with her claws in order to remove the heavy winter coat of fur from the animal then looked at Trajan expectantly. Trajan watched as he recovered but still had a few balls of fur stuck to his muzzle. He attempted to do the same for his slightly mutilated rabbit but ended up pushing to deep into the rabbit and ended up puncturing it's stomach.

He pulled his sticky and bloody paw back out of the animal with a yip of disgust and tried to shake off the goop that had accumulated on his paw. As he waved his paw around, a large drop of the disgusting ooze flew off and landed squarely on Aniu's muzzle.

She stared at him with a look that said he was dead meat. Trajan just stared back with fear in his eyes and gulped. Then she Aniu stood up shook the rabbit's last meal from her face and walked over to where Trajan was and sat down across from him with the dissected rabbit in between them. Trajan never took his fearful eyes off of her.

Aniu sat in front of Trajan for a few more seconds, then fast as lightning she reached down picked up the rabbit's limp body and shoved Trajan's muzzle right into the hole he had made.

His eyes grew wide with shock as he took in the warm, sticky mess on his face and disgusting smell of animals entrails that was hot in his nostrils. He leaped back with a yelp and shook his head back and forth again trying to clear the odor from his nostrils and the ooze from his face.

Aniu fell back, roaring with laughter. Trajan was a lot less impressed with this prank and as soon as he saw Aniu rolling on the ground Ina fit pounced on her. But he had forgotten about his injury and miscalculated the distance. He landed on her with a thump and a yelp of combined surprise came from both of them. But they quickly recovered and rolled along the floor of the cave, Aniu still laughing and Trajan growling as he tried to pin the squirming she-wolf.

Aniu laughter soon died down as she realized that Trajan was trying to wrestle her and she decided to accept his little challenge but still went easy on him because he was injured.

They rolled back and forth for a while Aniu only toying with him and playing mostly defense as she new she could easily beat him but had decided to have some fun with it. Trajan however was finding it very difficult to get his paws around the lithe wolf as she continued to worm her way out of his grasp. Tired, as he hadn't had a proper meal yet, he finally gave in and got up only to walk to corner and plopped himself down to pout as his stomach growled loudly.

Aniu confused by his behavior heard his stomach growled and remembered that he hadn't eaten yet and grabbed the rabbit she had skinned and brought it over to him.

Trajan looked up and saw the rabbit in front of him and gave it a suspicious sniff as Aniu went to bring the still furry rabbit over. Realizing it was safe, Trajan took bite of the animal and to his surprised found it delicious he quickly finished of the rest before Aniu had even returned with the other one.

Aniu pushed aside what was left of the first rabbit and dropped the second one in front of Trajan.

"To avoid eating the fur and survive out here" she began. "You must know how to remove the skin."

"Last time I tried that it didn't work to well" Trajan replied.

Aniu gave a chuckle at the memory and Trajan growled. "That is because you are inexperienced but I can teach you if you are willing to learn."

"Well I am still pretty hungry so learning is probably my best option right now."

"Correct. Now instead of simply relying on sight to puncture the skin, you must also use the feeling in your paw, then hear the sound of the skin separating." Aniu demonstrated by placing her paw on the carcass and closing her eyes. She drew her claw along the animals body and opened her eyes to reveal a perfect cut where her claw had been.

Trajan was amazed by her knowledge and was eager to try. Aniu flipped the rabbit onto its other side and pushed it towards him. He took a deep breath and placed his front paw on the animal as Aniu had done. He let one of his claws puncture the rabbit but not beyond the skin an to his surprise he heard the slightest ripping sound. As he dragged his claw along the animal, a fine slit followed.

"Very good." Aniu stated. She was impressed by how fast this dog was learning. "Now try the rest of the rabbit."

Slowly but surely Trajan was able to remove strips of the animal's fur and skin revealing the tender flesh and muscle beneath. He let out a bark of excitement as he finished his task and began to eat the tasty rabbit. Sure there were still a few tufts of fur here and there but he had done it and by the look o pride on Aniu's face he knew that it was something to be proud of...


	9. World's Clash

**9: Worlds Clash**

Aniu woke suddenly in the middle of the night. She looked around to see what had woken her but when she saw nothing except the sleeping form of Trajan, she was slightly puzzled. But then she heard it. A single howl pierced the silence of the night, soon followed by several others.

Aniu knew what that howl meant and knew where it had come from. She was being tracked and by her own pack.

She quickly rose to her feet and ran to the entrance of the cave. She let out a howl of her own, one that said she was ok and gave her location. After a few seconds she heard howls of response that let her know that she would soon have company.

She walked back into the cave and saw Trajan who was sitting up and was terrified. "Be prepared." She told him. "Your kind have killed several of my pack and they tend to hold a grudge so be ready to flee if the need arises."

Trajan only gulped and stayed where he was, petrified.

Soon the sound of several animals running together could be heard through the forest. The rhythmic pounding of their paws echoing. Trajan only grew more terrified as he heard the wolves' approach.

"Half the pack must be after me," Aniu mumbled to herself as she sat at the entrance of the cave. "A little overkill but alright."

Suddenly, about 15 wolves leapt from the shadows of the forest, led by none other than her father. He ran right up to Aniu and affectionately rubbed her neck with his. Soon a small semicircle had formed around the embracing wolves and most tried their best to appear uninterested while avoiding looking at the two and instead stating off into the forest.

Aniu's father soon broke the embrace and stepped back only enough to look his daughter up and down, checking for injuries. "Thank the spirits you are not hurt," he said with a look of relief. "Your mother and I were so worried when you didn't return before the blizzard and we feared the worst."

Then Aniu heard another voice. One that she absolutely loathed, "Aniu, don't scare us like that. I can't have my princess run off like that. You had me so worried." Aniu peered around her father to see another wolf approaching.

He was tall and broad shouldered, with plenty of obvious muscle. His fur was pure darkness and he carried himself as if he ruled the world. He was none other than Alva, her worst nightmare and foremost suitor. Ever since he had first come to the pack as a lone wolf seeking shelter, he had hit on her and had persistently asked her on several outings. She always turned him down which only made him angrier and more annoying.

He sauntered up to them and tried to give Aniu a nuzzle but she hastily backed away. Alaquis gave Alva the evil eye until his resolve faltered and he retreated to where the other wolves were waiting.

"I know father," Aniu said, ignoring Alva. "I meant to return sooner but I was a little preoccupied."

As if right on a cue, a wolf, who had been sniffing around the small cave, decided to explore deeper. With a startled cry he dashed back out and reported to Alaquis, "Alpha, there is one of those infernal dogs in the cave!"

Every wolf in the vicinity turned towards the entrance with their fur standing up. Every wolf except one. Aniu ran to the entrance of the cave and growled at the approaching wolves who stopped in their tracks and looked back at a very confused Alaquis.

But before he could say anything, Aniu, spoke up, "This dog was injured in the storm and needed my help. I rescued him and brought him back here to heal. He is under my protection and any who wish to do him harm will have to go through me first."

"Aniu, why do you protect him!" Alva spoke up before Alaquis could. "His kind and their human masters have slaughtered us in the past and now you help one recover instead of tearing him to shreds!"

"This dog is a friend and a sled-dog, not a hunter. I allowed him to live because he is brave and strong. He deserved my help."

"No creature worthy of respect needs help" Alva snapped back.

"REALLY, ALVA!" Alaquis's voice boomed. Aniu knew it was only to get everyone's attention and he wasn't really as mad as he made out to be. "I seem to remember you coming to us asking for assistance and shelter. I only allowed you to stay out of pity. Not because you demonstrated any quality that we need, and certainly not because of your constant pursuit of my daughter's paw."

Aniu smiled to herself, 'Ha, that will deflate his ego some.' Alva only stalked off, growling.

With Alva's head shrunk back down to size, Alaquis turned his attention back to Aniu, who still stood defensively in front of the cave entrance. "Daughter, bring this dog out so I may have the pleasure of meeting him."

Aniu nodded and turned to face the cave only to see Trajan, who had heard the entire conversation, slowly walk out with his head held surprisingly high given the situation. All eyes in the small clearing watched him as he came to sit behind Aniu.

"Hello..." He said with his voices a few pitches to high. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Hello sir," He said addressing Alaquis. "My name is Trajan. Uh... Your daughter here saved me from the blizzard and carried me all the way here on her own. She's was quite brave to risk herself for me."

Aniu couldn't help the blood that rose to her cheeks at the compliment. She was just glad that her thick fur hid the color from the others. "You speak well, Trajan." Alaquis replied. "I am Alaquis. Alpha of pack Bear Mountain. I will provide you with shelter and food until you are able to make the journey home." At this he stood barked out an order and stalked back into the shadows of the forest.

Aniu and Trajan followed side by side with the rear being brought up by the remaining wolves. Trajan stumbled once and would have fallen had Aniu not been there to catch him. As he stood back up Aniu heard a growl emitting from one of the wolves behind her. She turned her head to see Alva staring maliciously at Trajan.

She ignored him and turned back around to continue walking. "Thanks" Trajan said to Aniu as they walked.

"You are welcome," She responded. "you need to heal more before you can start on your journey home and I can't have you injure yourself again."

Trajan only gave a sad smile, thinking that now probably wasn't the best time to mention that his home was several hundred miles away...


	10. Sleeping Arrangements

**A/N: Yeah! 10 chapters in under a week! Over 6,000 words too *Fist Pump.* Well so far no reviews and I'm a little concerned. I can see how many people view each chapter so why isn't anyone criticizing me. Don't worry I can take it.**

 **Ok, so far Trajan has become quite close with Aniu and has now met her father (always a terrifying experience even if you are a wolf). He has allowed Trajan to stay with the pack for now but will all the other wolves be so generous? I'm trying to make the chapters long and it's working so far so that's good.**

 **BTW, in this chapter I think I'm going to try a first person view point. Probably in Aniu's POV because she knows whats going on. I want everybody reading this to vote on what you think and whether I should keep going in her POV, change POVs, or go back to third person open. So remember to comment**

 **10: Sleeping Arrangements**

 **If you don't read the A/N this will probably be confusing, SO READ IT!**

Our small group made it back to the den site with out any further problems other than the occasional growl from Alva. But I was easily able to ignore him. Trajan, though, looked a little uncomfortable by all the attention he was receiving. He constantly turned around to see the other wolves watching him closely.

"They won't try anything with my father and I around" I whispered to him. "They are not so foolish."

"Well they don't look to happy with my being here. especially him." He said gesturing with his head towards Alva.

"Well he might be the only one foolish enough to try something. But I still doubt it."

Trajan looked back at me and whispered, "Is he like your boyfriend or something. He acts like he owns you."

Upon hearing this a let out a snarl of disgust, which startled poor Trajan. I spat, "He wishes. But thankfully no, he is not in any way attached to me. I would rather die than be courted by him."

Trajan let out a slight whimper as I said the last part, but I couldn't figure out why. I let it go, as we were approaching the den site and headquarters for the whole pack. There were about 35 wolves in the pack including all the wolves and litter of four pups that had been born last spring. The den site was a narrow box canyon with paths and caves littering the walls. There were about 25 caves in all with the largest and highest against the far wall. It was where the Alphas and their family lived and that's were we were headed now. As our small group walked through the canyon eyes followed us from the wolves that had gathered along the cliffs to watch us escort Trajan through. If he had looked uncomfortable in the forest, then he was terrified now. But he held his head high and didn't let the others see his fear. I admired his resolve to appear stronger than he was and was glad he did because he wouldn't last if he appeared weak in front of the others.

As we got to the entrance of the cave my father dismissed the other wolves and they all separated, even Alva, with only a last threatening look and growl towards Trajan. We entered the cave and I was quickly tackled by a large bundle of fur.

My mother began chanting rapidly, "Where have you been?! What did you think you were doing? Why would you scare us like that? You'd better have an explanation for this young lady!"

"Uh, Matra, dear." My father interrupted while standing to the side looking for all the world, awkward. "We have company."

For the first time my mother noticed Trajan and hastily got off me looking, wait, did she look embarrassed!? Here were the two Alphas of the pack, the strongest and most powerful wolves, and my parents, looking like they had just been scolded. Never have I seen them behave this way.

My mother gave Trajan a once over then said, "Hello, and who might you be."

Trajan, who still seemed shocked from my mother's outburst, didn't seem intent on replying so my father spoke up, "This is Trajan. He and his sled-team were caught in the storm. Aniu saved him and has been with him ever since."

There was a hint of something in my father's voice. I didn't know what it was at the time but looking back on it I realized that he had foreseen something that I had only just begun to understand.

My mother looked over at Trajan again then back at me, and based on the twinkle in her eye, I guessed that she had caught the hidden meaning in my father's words. She then stared into my father's eyes and they seemed to have a silent conversation.

I was still confused, but Trajan was looking around appearing uncomfortable again so I figured I might as well make him comfortable. "Come on," I told him, "I'll show you where you can sleep."

He heard me and made to follow me out of the cave. But my words seemed to snap my parents back to reality as my mother said with a mischievous smile, "why don't we keep him here so we can better watch his progress as he heals."

"Why? There are plenty of empty caves along the cliff face. He'll be just as comfortable there."

My mother and father shared a knowing look again and he replied with a smile of his own, "something tells me that he won't be."

ignoring my smiling parents, I walked back into the den and Trajan followed me to the back I gave him a spot in a corner and sat him down. I was about to go back out to gather bedding but my now openly smiling parents came over with their tails wagging and my mother said, "no that corner is much to cramped. No one can sleep in such a tight space."

Trajan went to protest that he was just fine but before he could, my father said, "You are absolutely right, dear. He will have to be moved." Trajan just stood up and followed my father over to near the entrance of the cave. My father indicated a spot on the floor and Trajan plopped down, grateful to finally have a space to sleep.

I however was even more confused at this point. I had never seen my parents behave like this, and what were they so giddy about? If I hadn't been so confused and out of it I probably would have noticed the set up. But at the moment I just wanted to retrieve some leaves and bedding for Trajan then bunk down on my own bed and sleep off the exhaustion of the last few days.

I left the cave and headed into the forest to collect the needed supplies, the whole way thinking over how embarrassing my parents had acted in front of poor Trajan...

 **A/N: Alright everybody remember to review and vote sat to what you want to see as far as POV goes.**

 **Anyone notice the complete set up that poor Aniu's parents had set up? I'll give you a hint: the winters blowing IN and it's going to get COLD. Did you get? Aw well, guess you'll have to wait to see what's been cooking in the pot, HA HA HA evil laughter, evil laughter...**

 **PS: please review!**


	11. The Trap's Been Sprung

**11: The Trap's Been Sprung**

Aniu woke up and shivered. Winter was definitely here now Aniu thought as she peered out the entrance of the cave to see the snow glistening in the moonlight. She then noticed the shivering form of Trajan. He was shaking so bad she could hear his teeth chattering.

What had her parents been thinking! He'd freeze out in the open like that. She hurried over to him to wake him when she noticed his eyes were wide open. She looked back out at the moon and realized it was well past midnight, nearly early morning in fact. "Have been awake all night." She asked.

When he nodded, she harshly whispered, "And you didn't think to move to a warmer place?"

In spite of everything he smiled through chattering teeth, "I didn't want to intrude."

She growled at him, "come on. Your staying with me so I can make sure you don't get yourself killed."

She walked back over to her own bed of pine needles and leaves and made room for him to settle down beside her.

He quickly dashed over, sending several of the leaves flying and huddled right up next to her, his cold body shocking her at first. She hadn't realized how chilled he had really been. She pressed herself up against him as well and they quickly fell asleep, warm and content.

Neither, however, noticed the two wolves huddled farther back in the cave that had their ears perked up and smiles dancing along the lips...

 **A/N: this is a short little chapter and I think it's adorable how her parents completely set the whole thing up. Sure, Trajan had to suffer a few hours in the freezing cold but who wouldn't for lo...Uh... I mean a friend. Yeah, a friend. he he he.**


	12. Surprises

**12: Surprises**

Aniu woke feeling well rested and strangely warm. She attempted to roll over on her back to simply enjoy the warmth, when she pushed Trajan off of the slight platform that her bed was on. He awoke with a yelp as he hit the hard, cold cave floor with a loud thump.

Aniu, losing her source of heat, flipped back over with a whimper and looked down to see a groaning Trajan lying sprawled on the ground. She laughed at the sight and decided to have a little fun with him. She prepared herself to pounce, but Trajan, who had recovered but had decided not to blow his cover, wanted to get revenge for the jostling he had received. As he saw her crouching for a pounce he sprang up and tackled her, effectively pinning her to the ground.

She let out her own startled yelp as she struggled in his grasp but realized quickly that she had been outsmarted. She figured she should try a more deceitful tactic. She leaned up and gave Trajan a lick on the nose and he was so startled that he leapt backward, only to be followed by a now free and pouncing She-wolf.

Their previous positions had now switched and Trajan found himself under a laughing Aniu. When he saw her joy, he couldn't help himself, and bursted into laughter too. Soon they both lost control of themselves and were rolling on the ground in fits, unable to stop.

Eventually the crazed laughter died down to small chuckles, as the two were able to calm themselves. "That was the most fun I think I've ever had," Trajan said.

"I don't know, seeing you dance around with a rabbit stuck on your nose was pretty amusing." Aniu responded with a sly smile.

Trajan whimpered quietly at the memory and Aniu let out a few more chuckles.

She then walked to the cave entrance and noticed the sun already halfway through its route across the sky.

"It's noon already!" Trajan said as he came to stand beside Aniu.

"Indeed. It appears we slept a lot later than we should have. Speaking of sleep, I'm sorry that my parents stuck you at the entrance. They must have known how cold it would be."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm fine now and we were able to keep each other warm last night, so at least some good came of it." They both blushed at the memory of the close contact they had shared.

"Say, where are your folks? I didn't see them as I fell from the bed." Trajan said as he nudged Aniu playfully.

"It was an accident, ok. I'm not used to company when I sleep!" She said as she nudged him back. "Well, father is most likely out on a hunt for the pack an mother is probably making a cave call." Aniu answered as childish laughter rang out through the canyon. "And I think I know where."

They made their way down the path that led to the canyon floor. As they turned to face the direction the laughter was coming from, they were startled to see Alva waiting in the shadows. When he saw Aniu, A confident grin came over his face and he strutted out to meet her. When he saw Trajan following however, he let out a low snarl and his stride faltered.

Walking up to Aniu and pushing past Trajan, he demanded, "What is the mutt still doing here?!"

"Under the Alphas' orders, he is to stay until he is fit enough to make the journey home." Aniu replied, allowing some spite to seep into her words. She really couldn't stand Alva. He was absolutely obnoxious and incredibly stubborn. No matter how many times she rejected him, he always returned with another offer to go for a walk or hunt together.

True to his habits, he put on his most convincing smile, which was about as charming as the rear end of a grizzly, and asked, "So, princess, what do you say we head out for a little hike together? I know some of the greatest spots with the best views of the territory."

Aniu growled in disgust and replied, "Gee Alva, I'd love to, but I don't think I'd be able to see anything around your ego."

Trajan, who'd been silent up to this point, once again cried out with laughter and Alva turned to glare at him. But Trajan didn't back down and continued cracking up, making the canyon walls ring with the sound.

Realizing that he had been rejected again, Alva stalked off into the forest at the entrance of the canyon but not without a final snarl and snap at Trajan.

As soon as he was out of sight, Aniu let out a sigh and glanced over at Trajan to find him completely straight-faced and looking at her with concern. "Are you ok?" He asked sounding genuinely worried.

"Yes, I believe so. It was only Alva, nothing life threatening." Aniu said. "But what about you? A second ago you were rolling on the ground nearly laughing yourself to death."

"I figured he'd need a little humility to bring his head back down to size" Trajan responded. Then he smiled mischievously and said, "Don't worry, your not that funny."

"Hey!" Aniu shouted, swatting him on the shoulder with her paw. "I thought it was clever."

Trajan only began walking again, chuckling to himself. But before he got very far he stopped suddenly and turned back around, looking sheepish, "I, uh... Don't know where I'm going."

Aniu began chuckling to herself as she regained the lead and turned them in the direction of the cave that now emanated laughter.

They arrived at the entrance and Trajan peered inside only to be pounced on by two little balls of fur with sharp teeth and painful claws. He let out a bark of terror as he was dragged to the ground. He let out one of his infamous groans and peered up only to see two tiny faces gazing back at him in confusion.

"Who are you?" The one on the left, a girl with grayish-brown fur, piped in her adorably high voice.

"Don't you know anything, Lexi. This is that dog that Aunty Aniu rescued from the blizzard." The one on the right, a pup with dark gray fur, who Trajan assumed was Lexi's brother, chided.

"I knew that, Lupin!" Lexi barked at her brother. Then turning her attention back to Trajan, she said, "You smell funny. You need a bath!"

"Alright kids I think the poor dog has had enough." Aniu interrupted, barely able to contain her laughter. "Go back inside to join your brothers."

"Yes Aunty Aniu." They complied in unison and quickly dashed into the cave from whence they'd come.

Trajan, still lying on his back, asked, "Aunty?"

Aniu let out a giggle and responded, "My little sister's cubs." Then she turned towards the cave and strode inside without another word.

Trajan was left in the dirt, staring after her. He rose slowly, shaking the dust out of his fur, and followed Aniu, thinking, _'she has a sister?'_

As he entered the cave he was greeted by darkness at first after the bright light of the sun outside, but his eyes soon adjusted and he saw Aniu prancing around four little pups in the middle of the cave while her mother and a wolf Trajan didn't know sat on the far side looking on with smiles.

Trajan stood in the cave entrance awkwardly until the pups saw him and they all yelled at once, "Intruder!" and pounced on him again.

He fell on his back as the four cubs climbed up to his face and started nipping his nose.

"Who are you?" One asked. He stood proudly with his head held high on Trajan's chest looking powerful and brave.

Trajan assumed he was the oldest based on his behavior and was about to respond when Lupin stepped up, "That's the dog that Aunty Aniu saved in the big blizzard, Remus."

"And he smells funny!" Little Lexi added.

"Really?" Asked the fourth and smallest cub. He took a deep whiff of Trajan's chest fur and stumbled around, gagging, "your right, aha, aha! He does smell funny."

All the other pups laughed at their little brother's exaggeration as he continued to spin, pretending to be dizzy.

Trajan knew they were only kidding so he decided to play along, "Hey, it can't be that bad." He said as he took a whiff of himself. He instantly started gagging and retching right along with the smallest pup.

"Ok," he choked out, "maybe I could do with a little freshening up."

The little ones couldn't stop laughing and Trajan saw goofy smiles across the faces of the three other adults as well.

As the little runt finally recovered, Trajan walked over to him and ruffled the fur on his head and asked, "what's your name kid?"

"Balto," He replied, "but my brothers and sister just call me Balt."

"Balto, huh? I like it. It has a nice ring to it."

Hey Balt! Come on, Lexi and Remus are going to race!" cried Lupin from where he and the other pups waited.

"I'm coming!" little Balto called back. Trajan watched him scamper over to his siblings still thinking about that name. Balto. He really liked it, maybe, if he ever got lucky enough, he'd name one of his pups that.

He remembered he wasn't alone and turned around to see the three she-wolves looking at him curiously. He put on a guilty look at having forgotten they were there and looked at the one in the middle, the assumed mother.

"Uh...Hi, I'm uh, Trajan." He stuttered out.

"Nice to meet you Trajan, I'm Maia, and the mother of those four monsters." The middle wolf replied, indicating the pups running back and forth just outside the cave.

"You're really good with pups," she said to him, bringing Trajan's attention back from outside.

"Well, yeah, I guess. There not much different than dog pups. Just more painful bites." Trajan started, "back in Nome, my best dog on the team, Maverick... Well he had pups and I would often go and visit them and spend all day just playing with them on the beach." He let out a small, sad, smile at the memory and realization that those poor little pups would never see there father again.

Aniu was shocked. Trajan hadn't revealed anything about his past life to her yet and this surprisingly deep and sensitive piece of information must have been hard for him to talk about. Knowing that he must have been thinking about the terrible fate that had befallen his friends by his low hung head and small whimper, she walked over to him and gave him a lick of comfort on the top of his head.

He lifted his head and gave her a small smile then a nuzzle to the snout in thanks.

"You were right." Maia said to her mother who had been silently observing the encounter. "They are perfect for each other."

"Yes." Matra said to her youngest daughter, without taking her eyes off of the two beings still in the center of the cave. "Now if they only saw it too."

"Give them time, and in the end, love will find its way around their differences." Maia replied with a glint in her eyes.

"I suppose," Matra conceded. "On another note have you heard from Nava recently. It seems your brother is getting along pretty well with his own pack."

"Yeah, I can't believe that he is an alpha now too. After he ran away and abdicated his right to the title, I thought it was because he didn't want to be alpha."

"He may have been the oldest but he was still the runt out of the three of you. The others wouldn't have respected him, and he figured as much. With a new start he was able to begin his own pack, slowly recruiting lone wolfs until his pack becomes powerful enough to find its own territory."

"Well I miss him," Maia pouted, lying down and placing her head between her paws.

"Me too." Responded Matra.

"As do I," put in Aniu coming back over with Trajan in tow. "But he has made his decision and I for one, am proud of Nava for it."

"We all are." Said Matra while Maia nodded in consent.

A peaceful silence settled over the group, only to be interrupted by a confused Trajan, "Who's Nava?"


	13. Painful Stories

**13: Painful Stories**

They'd made their way from the den and past the playing pups to the center of the canyon, Trajan still asking about Nava. "So who is he? Is HE your boyfriend?"

Aniu sighed, "No he is not courting me. He is my eldest sibling and he was the original heir to my parents. But he was a runt and soon realized that the others would not respect him as a strong leader. So he ventured out on his own to find another pack or start his own. He is now living up north near the ocean and has control of a small territory. His pack is expanding steadily as my brother is very persuasive and cunning. Are you satisfied now?"

Trajan, who was even more confused now than when they had begun, decided to drop the subject, "uh...yes."

"Good," stated Aniu.

They began walking back to the Alpha cave when they heard cries of delight from behind them, "Dad's back!" Screamed the eager pups as they sprinted towards the forest at the entrance of the canyon where several wolves were beginning to appear.

At the sight of the pups, one of the wolves that had been following Alaquis closely broke off from the group and ran to them, only to be taken down by the enthusiastic balls of fur.

Whoa, kids! I'm older than I look, easy." He laughed as the pups started jumping on him.

Aniu's and Trajan's attention was pulled back to the small group though when they noticed the three adult caribou being dragged behind them.

Their stomachs growled in unison as they hadn't eaten since the day before and they grinned a challenge to each other. They took off in a similar way to the pups, heading straight for the biggest caribou that had to be dragged by three wolves. Aniu was impressed at how well Trajan was able to keep up with her. After all he was just a dog and she a wolf but he was holding his own just fine.

They reached Alaquis and tore past him and simultaneously pounced and landed onto the carcass, startling the three wolves pulling it.

"I beat you!" They yelled to each other, though they were less than three feet away.

"No way! I beat you, paws down." Trajan exclaimed to Aniu.

"Impossible! I was got to the caribou way before you." She replied.

"You to argue like mere cubs." boomed a third voice. Turning, they noticed that it was Alaquis, looking very superior to the squabbling duo.

"She started it!" Cried Trajan.

"I did no such thing!" Denied Aniu.

Alaquis only raised an eyebrow to emphasize his point.

Both Aniu and Trajan hung their heads low and sulked off of the now trampled caribou and came to sit in front of Alaquis. Sorry, Father." Mumbled Aniu

"Yeah, uh...sorry about that." Repeated Trajan.

Not being able to hold his superior demeanor any longer, Alaquis bursted out laughing, while the embarrassed two just stared at him in complete confusion. "You should have seen your selves!" Alaquis chuckled, "You looked like you had just been caught eating grass, you were so embarrassed."

Aniu and Trajan, both now thoroughly humiliated, quickly scampered into the forest with their heads hung low, leaving a still giggling alpha behind, having had enough embarrassment for one morning.

They made their way to a narrow stream that ran through a small clearing near the den site. The two lied down on the shore not looking at the other and not knowing what to say. Finally, Trajan broke the uncomfortable silence by asking, "is the alpha of a wolf pack supposed to do stuff like that, or is it just like a dad thing?"

"In truth I've never seen anyone act that way, especially not my father. But then again my father can't exactly be a normal parent being an alpha as well. So no, alphas do not behave this way on a regular basis, and no, this is not the way my father normally acts either. Speaking of, he has been acting strange ever since he met you. I can't imagine why though." Aniu responded. Trajan just put his head on his paws and closed his eyes to listen to the rushing water of the stream.

Aniu was content to do the same when Trajan suddenly said, "I never knew my father. He died before I was even born. Some sort of hunting accident. I was never given much detail. I was born into a litter of four but two of my siblings didn't survive and the fourth, my baby sister, well," Trajan paused here, recalling the horrible memory, "she wandered out one night by herself when we were about four weeks old and she somehow made it outside without my mother noticing. She was caught in the freezing cold with no way of knowing how to get back inside." Trajan had tears in his eyes now as he choked on his words. Aniu was crying as well, letting the tears flow freely down her face and into the snow.

She walked over to Trajan, lied down against him and put her head against his chest. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to. I'll understand."

"No. It feels good to finally tell someone. If you don't mind I'd like to keep going." She simply buried her face deeper into his fur as an affirmative. Trajan took a shaky breath and continued, "Our human found her body the next morning buried under a foot of snow. We didn't know if she died from the cold or if she suffocated but after that my mother fell ill. She seemed to lose her will to live and she refused to eat or drink. She passed a few days later, peacefully in her sleep." Trajan choked up again as he continued, "I was left all alone with no family and no friends. I was brought up by our human and they did the best that they could but they couldn't replace what I had lost. Nothing could." When he finished Trajan lowered his head and placed it on top of Aniu's, where they both stayed, crying openly and freely and letting each other know that they were there and real and that nothing would ever change that.

They made their way back to the canyon as the sun was setting. They walked closer than usual though. Their fur practically brushing. None of the other wolves seemed to notice them as they made their way towards the remains of the three caribou. None of the wolves save a jet black one, watching from the shadows of a nearby cave. He gave a growl before retreating further into the darkness and completely out of sight.

Aniu and Trajan ate their fill of the meal, then continued to the den at the far side of the canyon. But Aniu realized that her father was probably there right now waiting for them, and not wanting to deal with him after the set up earlier that day, steered Trajan towards one of the empty caves. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"Somewhere my father isn't." Aniu replied with a hint of distaste. "Unless you'd like to face him after his little prank this morning."

"Uh...no thanks." Trajan replied, following her into the smaller den. They found a pile of old leaves and a few bones in the cave but nothing else. They settled down together on the old leaves and Aniu put her head on Trajan's forepaws. He was a little surprised at first but quickly overcame it and rested his head on hers the same as he had in the forest. Aniu instinctively scooted closer to him and together they both closed their eyes and fell asleep, remembering that when all else fails, they always had each other...

 **A/N: Sorry guys and gals that it's been forever since I updated, (Like two whole days!) but my family decided to take a vacation and I completely forgot my writings. I nearly cried at not being able to write for 2 WHOLE DAYS! But I'm back now so that's good. *smiley face emoji***


	14. Encounters in the Night

**14: Encounters in the Night**

Aniu woke in the middle of the night after a nightmare. _'Strange'_ She thought, _'I haven't had one of those in a long time.'_ She recalled the events of the previous day and looked down at the sleeping form of Trajan, a tear in her eye.

She got up as quietly as she could not wanting to wake Trajan and made her way out of the small cave. She took a deep breath of the crisp winter night air and started off towards the forest lost in thought. So deep in thought that she didn't notice the dark form following her into the shadows of the night.

She wandered the woods thinking about how Trajan could bear to live after the experience he went through, and as just a pup too! She didn't think she would have had the courage if she had been in his position.

As she continued to wander she soon found herself at the stream where she and Trajan had spent the better part of the day just talking and being there for one another. She sat at the edge of the stream and stared down into the clear waters, listening to the burbling of it passing over the rocks.

Suddenly, she noticed another reflection staring at her in the stream. She spun around ready for an attack only to see a smirking Alva sitting behind her. "A little jumpy aren't you princess." Smirked Alva.

"I've had a trying day." She practically spat at him, annoyed at his intrusion. "So if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to my thoughts." Aniu turned back to face the stream, wanting Alva to simply leave her alone, but she wasn't surprised when he stayed.

"Alone" She added when he still didn't leave after several minutes.

"Ah come on princess, you know you can't resist me," he said as he sauntered over. "I know your spending time with that stupid mutt only because you feel like he's your responsibility, but out here you can drop the facade. Now come here and I'll show you what a real wolf is like."

Aniu couldn't believe he was being so bold with her, the alphas' daughter! Who did he think he was? Before she could voice her thoughts he walked over to her and tried to plant a kiss on her cheek but she backed up quickly. Annoyed he tried again but before he got close, an angry blur of fur collided with him, sending him sprawling into the stream.

There, standing where Alva had just been, was a ferocious, furious Trajan, staring daggers at the squirming form of Alva as he tried to haul himself out of the freezing water.

"She said she's not interested, creep. Now scram before this gets serious." Trajan threatened through a growl. Trajan didn't know where all of this was coming from. He was usually a very mellow dog, just going with the flow of things. Never had he once gotten into a fight, much less started one. One of the reasons he had been lead dog was because he was the one always breaking up fights between others. But seeing Alva trying to impose himself on Aniu like that brought to surface a burning hatred.

"Mind your own business, mutt!" Alva shouted. "This is none of your concern."

"But I believe it is MINE!" Someone roared.

All three turned to see Alaquis perched on a boulder glaring down at Alva.

"Alpha. I was simply trying to come out to get a drink and bumped into Aniu. I was simply talking to her when this stupid dog knocked me into the stream."

Alaquis turned to Aniu, "is this true daughter?"

"No. I came out here to be alone with my thoughts when Alva disturbed me and wouldn't leave when I demanded he did. He then began flirting with me and tried to steal a kiss from me and would likely have succeeded if Trajan hadn't come when he did." Aniu replied without so much as a glance at Alva.

Alaquis glared at Alva again, who put his tail between his legs, and without taking his eyes off him asked Trajan, "What do you have to say about this Trajan?"

Trajan, who seemed surprised to be asked on such a matter as he was still just a guest, started, "oh...well sir, I noticed that Aniu had left the cave we were in and was able to follow her scent out here to the stream. I saw her sitting here alone and was about to join her when Alva walked up behind her. When she noticed him, she turned and told him to leave her alone but he didn't. He then tried to convince her that she was in love with him and went so far as to try to kiss her. She was able to avoid his first attempt but she was against the stream at that point and I knew that she would fall if he came at her again so I charged and knocked him in."

Alaquis's stare seemed to intensify as he heard the story then said, "it's their word against yours Alva. Come, we have much to discuss." And with that he turned, leaped gracefully off the boulder and headed towards the den not bothering to check if Alva was following.

"But Alpha!" Alva called after him. "He is just a stupid mutt! You can not trust him." Alva continued yelling after Alaquis but to no avail. He started to follow with his head low and tail between his legs, but not before giving a quick glare and snarl at Trajan. Then he disappeared into the woods in the same direction as Alaquis.

"What a jerk." Stated Trajan, staring into the woods the way Alva had gone with a look of distaste.

"Yes." Agreed Aniu. "I'm glad you came along when you did. I hadn't noticed how close to the river I was."

"Hey, what are friends for, right?" Replied Trajan with a smile. "Come on, lets get you some sleep, you had a taxing day and an exciting evening."

"Agreed." Aniu said with a small, exhausted smile.

They made their way back to the cave without another word and settled down again but this time, if it were possible, they were even closer to each other than they had been before...

 **A/N: this is how romance should be today. Not any of the stupid dates and worthless presents and crap. Just two people having a good time together and sticking up for each other and just being glad to be in the other's presence. Just plain and simple. Being able to act like children in front of each other with no judgement or expectations. Love should bring the child out from inside of us not bury it deeper. Well that's my opinion anyway, hope you guy think so too.**


	15. The Sound of Laughter

**15: The Sound of Laughter**

Trajan awoke around sunrise feeling rejuvenated and energized. He sat up quickly, letting out a long yawn and jostling Aniu, who's head had been resting on Trajan's neck. She let out a yelp of protest when she felt her pillow moving beneath her and tried to pin it back down without opening her still sleep filled eyes. Trajan felt the added pressure to his back and turned his head to see a sleepy Aniu climbing further up him in order to force him back to the ground.

Trajan decided to let her have a few more minutes of rest after her stressful night and settled himself back down but rolled so Aniu was resting on his chest instead of the back of his neck. She let out a small whimper of complaint at the sudden movement then rested her head on Trajan's chest fur and breathed a sigh of content all without opening her eyes.

Trajan chuckled at her commitment to sleep and rested his head against the leaf covered cave floor. He closed his eyes and imagined he was back in Nome, running along the beach with his team chasing after him. Right behind him and nearly upon him was Maverick, his golden fur glistening in the sunlight and a gleeful grin upon his muzzle. Trajan let out a whimper at the fantasy and Aniu raised her head to look at the dog's troubled and somber face.

Trajan felt Aniu's head lift from his chest and slowly opened his eyes to see her staring at him with concern. Then, to his surprise, she leaned down and gave his nose a quick compassionate lick then settled her head into the curve of his neck with a slight smile tugging at her lips.

Trajan simply stared at the beautiful form of the she-wolf dozing against him and decided to return her act of kindness. Leaning his head forward while trying not to twist his neck as to not disturbed Aniu's peaceful form, he ben and gave her ears and the top of her head a few licks.

Then twisting slightly so he was lying on his side facing her, he curled his head and neck over Aniu's and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Aniu, feeling the licks that were placed upon her head and had tickled her ears, expressed an even bigger smile. She felt Trajan shift slightly and then felt his head on her neck and realized what he had done. She only buried her nose deeper into his neck, taking in his scent. 'So much like a wolf's, yet so different.' She thought to herself as she too fell asleep again.

They were both awoken about two hours later by the bumping and bouncing of four little creatures as they climbed and jumped on the two sleeping forms.

"Hey! What's the big idea? I'm sleeping you know!" Shout Trajan as he surged up, throwing a giggling Lexi and laughing Lupin to the ground. Balto and Remus, who had been jumping on Aniu trying to get her up, both pounced from their high position onto Trajan's back, effectively pinning him to the ground.

"What the- whoa, no fair that's double teaming, I call foul play." Roared the trapped dog as he tried to struggle from under the two pups. But having noticed the advantage, Lexi and Lupin recovered themselves and joined their brothers on top of Trajan, allowing no possible escape.

"Aniu! Help me! They've got me pinned I don't know how much time I have left until they finish me off. Please, save me!" Shouted Trajan as a large grin spread over his face.

"Huh, what?" Mumbled Aniu as she pretended not to hear him, "Hey pups have you caught us dinner? Wonderful, I'm not so hungry right now but feel free to help yourselves." Aniu finished with a devilish grin.

Trajan could only let out a startled gasp as he realized what Aniu was saying, "No, no, no. No way! I am not a chew toy. Don't even think about- ouch... Ow... Stop it!" Screamed Trajan as he felt the pups' little tevery dig into him again and again.

"That's enough now kids. I'm sure Aniu didn't save his butt only to have it used as a chewing bone by four little wolves" said a voice that Trajan didn't know but recognized as familiar.

"Awwww." The four cubs pouted as they dismounted Trajan and trotted back towards the cave entrance where the mystery voice was waiting.

Trajan looked up to see the wolf he had seen yesterday following Alaquis out of the woods. The one the pups had called dad. Trajan stumbled to his feet, wincing as he stretched his gnawed on muscles. "Hi, I'm Trajan the sled-dog and chew toy." He said to the pups father.

He chuckled at this and replied, "my name is Baron, one of Alaquis's betas, and father to those little demons." He said indicating the cubs that were wrestling just outside the cave. "Sorry about the rude awakening but they really wanted to see you again and when we didn't find you in the Alphas' cave, they ran off before I could stop them, claiming that they had caught your scent. I guess they were right."

"Well it seems that they caught more than just my scent." Trajan grunted as he counted the bare patches along his body where his fur had been ripped out.

"Yeah, sorry about that, like I said they got here before I could stop them from doing something like that." Baron told him, looking embarrassed.

"Oh don't worry it's not you I'm mad at..." Trajan left the sentence hanging as he glared at Aniu's prone form as she let a mischievous smile grace her lips when she felt his gaze on her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, faking hurt.

"Only that you put the idea of EATING ME in their impressionable little heads and now I have bald spots all over my body." Replied Trajan in an annoyed voice.

"Oh believe me, they were already thinking about it. I just approved of the idea." Aniu smiled as she said this as she knew Trajan was bristling with anger, without even opening her eyes.

"Well that certainly helped the matter now didn't it?" Said Trajan sarcastically.

"Of course it didn't. It would be foolish to think it did. Did those cubs take a piece of your sense as well?" Aniu asked innocently, ignoring Trajan's sarcasm and still not opening her eyes nor lifting her head.

This was probably her undoing as she would have seen Trajan getting ready to pounce while she was replying had she been paying more attention. But she failed to notice him until he was flying through the air and landing on top of her.

She let out an "oomph" as he landed heavily on her but it quickly changed to high-pitched laughter as Trajan began tickling her stomach and sides with his wet cold nose.

She giggled and tried to push him off but her limbs were useless in her state of forced merriment and only encouraged Trajan to tickle her harder. Soon the cave rung with her laughter and she was fighting for breath as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.

Deciding that she had had enough Trajan lifted his face from her stomach to let her catch her breath but did not move from his position on top of her. After several minutes of deep breathing, Aniu regained control of herself and tried to push Trajan off of her only to find that all that laughing had taken away most of her energy and strength.

"Let me up now, you had your fun." She complained to Trajan.

"True. I had some fun but I don't think it's over yet..." Smirked Trajan as a mischievous grin flashed across his face. "Oooohh pups!" He called and Aniu felt a sense of dread come over her. 'Oh no' she thought as the cubs excitedly bounded into the cave.

"Yeah, uncle Trajan?" little Balto asked.

"Uncle Trajan? Where did that come from?" Asked the puzzled dog.

Balto was about to respond, but his siblings tackled him while simultaneously yelling, "Nothing!"

'Oh well. I'll just question them later.' Trajan thought, but was brought back to reality by the squirming she-wolf still beneath him who was paying no attention to the conversation and was desperately trying to escape her trap.

"Well," Trajan began, letting the mischievous smile settle on his face again. "I think that poor, old Aunty Aniu is feeling a little glum today. What do you say to cheering her up?" At this all four pups yipped their affirmative and Trajan moved out of the way just as they pounced onto the downed she-wolf and began tickling her again with their own noses.

With her torture continuing, Aniu laughed and laughed until Baron called a halt to his cubs, but only after letting them continue for several minutes. They excitedly bounced off of the exhausted she-wolf who was still trying to catch her breath again. Trajan approached Aniu cautiously, not knowing if she was faking it or was actually tired. Once he was satisfied that she wasn't up to anything he came over and gave her an apologetic nuzzle as he watched her slowly recover.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would take that much out of you." He said when she finally stopped panting.

"Well..." Aniu started but had to take another deep breath before continuing. "Neither did I. Remind me not to get on your bad side ever again. You're quite devious when you want to be."

Trajan only smile and gave her another affectionate nuzzle. After another minute passed he asked, "so what do you want to do with the rest of the day?" When she didn't respond after several seconds, he glanced at her face and saw that her eyes were closed and sure enough she had fallen back asleep.

Trajan chuckled and exited the cave quietly in order to tell Baron that it had been nice to meet him and say good bye to pups. As he was walking back to the cave he noticed that the sun was already descending and he remembered that he hadn't eaten yet that day. He made his way towards the center of the canyon where he had figured out was where the pack kept the left over food from a hunt and sure enough a fresh elk carcass rested on the raised platform among the bones of previous meals.

Trajan walked over to the dead animal, ripped off a leg and began skinning it just like Aniu had taught him what seemed like forever ago. Had it really been less than a week since he had first come to the pack? It seemed like months to him. He pushed his thoughts aside as he finished cleaning the leg and began to devour the delicious meat.

When he finished, he rose and tore off another leg knowing that Aniu would be hungry when she woke. He carried it back to the small den and placed it on the bones they had found in the cave the previous day. He then settled down on the leaf bed curled up against Aniu, and closed his eyes as he licked the grease from his muzzle and dislodged the remaining meat from between his teeth.

He thought about what the other dogs back in Nome would think of him, knowing that he now ate meat off a carcass and he shared a cave with a wolf. He figured the would look down upon him, saying that he had become savage, but in truth, he felt free. More free than he had ever felt before and if the dogs looked down on freedom, then he didn't want to be dog anymore. All these thoughts crossed his mind as he slowly drifted off to sleep...


	16. A Dancing Flame

**16: A Dancing Flame**

Aniu dreamt that she was out on a hunt. She could smell the juicy meat of an elk as she closed in. The elk didn't even notice her as she crept towards it. She was within pouncing distance and she let herself fly, soaring through the air and landing on the unsuspecting elk and tearing into its scrawny neck as it... Yelped? Elks don't yelp.

She awoke from her dream to find herself chewing on someone's forepaw. And that someone didn't look to happy about it. Aniu slowly released the damaged leg from her between her teeth and put on a sheepish smile as Trajan shook his paw around, trying to lessen the pain that was shooting through it. Aniu glanced outside to see that the sky was dark and the moon high. She guessed it was just before midnight.

She remembered her dream and the smell of meat and oddly she could still smell it. She glanced around the cave until her eyes came to rest on the detached leg that lay across the den from her. She remembered not having eaten before falling back asleep during the day and realized that Trajan must of brought it in for her. Good thing too because knowing her pack all of the leftovers would be gone by now and she would have had to go out and find herself something to eat on her own.

She gave Trajan who was still waving his paw around an apologetic nuzzle and a thankful lick on the cheek then made her way over to the elk leg to begin her meal.

Once she had finished she glanced back over to where Trajan had been only to find him missing. How had she not noticed him leave the cave she thought to herself. She forced herself to stand and walked outside to see if she could pick up his scent.

But it turned out she wouldn't need to, as he hadn't gone far. She saw him climbing one of the narrow paths that led up the canyon wall and made to follow him. When she reached the end of the path she was surprised to find herself standing at the very top of the canyon's back wall and wondered how she had never noticed this path before. She looked around for Trajan and caught the flick of his tail just before it disappeared beneath the wall as he made his way down another path on the opposite side of the canyon. She followed him down making sure not to alert him of her presence.

She moved silently behind him as he made it to the bottom on the back side of the canyon's rearmost wall. It was an impossibly smooth surface that had been worked at over decades by rain and wind in order to create a flat drop off such as this. She was so impressed by the nature of the cliff face that she nearly blew her cover. She hid quickly as Trajan came back into view dragging a sack that clinked as it moved. He set the sack thirty feet from the cliff and empty the contents into the snow then set the bag down. The clanking pieces that had been in the bag looked like fragments of colorful rocks, but some where also transparent.

Aniu was confused as to where Trajan had found them and what he was doing with them. He disappeared into the forest again, only to return a second later with what she knew to be one of the humans' fire carriers or lanterns as they called them. It was unlit of course and she was confused as to what Trajan could possible use it for when he set it down behind the colored rocks and twisted a nozzle on the lanterns base. He then pulled another item from the sack, a long, narrow box that looked to be rough on the sides and rattled when Trajan shook it. Aniu was completely clueless as to what Trajan could possibly be doing and just continued watching from her hiding place.

She saw Trajan slide open a panel on the box and delicately pull out a thin stick which he then proceeded to rub quickly against the rough side of the box. Aniu was convinced that living in the wild had driven him crazy and was about to get up and confront him when she saw the end of the small stick burst into flames.

 _'How... How did he do that?'_ Aniu thought as she watched Trajan place the burning end of the stick into the open lantern case. Soon he had the lantern burning as well and he dipped the flaming end of his stick into the snow where and audible hiss could be heard.

Trajan moved onto the colored rocks next and began positioning them and mumbling to himself. All Aniu caught was the last words he uttered, "...and to the north..."

Then he placed the last piece and the canyon wall exploded with light. 'It looks just like the dancing lights.' Aniu thought to herself in amazement. She was so ensnared by the dazzling sight that she didn't notice Trajan sneaking up behind her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked from behind her. She jumped at the sound and quickly spun to see a solemn Trajan staring into the lights like it would be the last thing he ever saw.

"Yes, it is. How long did you know I was here?" Aniu asked him suspiciously.

"I purposely led you here so I could show this to you." Trajan stated with a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth, "I'm unsure as to why you insisted on trying to stalk me but I still got you here didn't I?"

"Indeed you did." Aniu said as if in a trance still staring at the sifting shapes of the colors splashed across the cliff. Then she remembered her questions, "What are those colorful rocks? Where did you get them and the other supplies? How did you light that small fire stick with the box? Where did you learn to do this?" She blurted out quickly.

Trajan, who smiled knowingly at her, replied, "Those aren't rocks they are glass. It's a clear, sharp object that humans can change the color of and mold into bottles to hold liquids or other stuff. We were carrying all the supplies you see here on the sled when we crashed. It was just a matter of going out of night and finding the sled, then searching for them. The 'fire stick' was a match. Humans use them if they need to light something and they have a small nub on one end that catches fire if you rub it against the side of the box the right way. And finally, my best pal, Maverick, taught me this nifty trick. He used to tell me that whenever he felt down, he would shine the northern lights and he would instantly feel better."

When he was finished, Trajan went back to staring into the shifting lights. Aniu walked over to him and pressed her body against his in the cold winter air. "Thank you." She whispered to him, "Im glad you showed this to me. It is well worth the cold." She said as she shivered on purpose.

Trajan, seeming to take the hint, smiled at the exaggeration and pressed his body against Aniu's, letting his warmth spread through her and vice versa.

They stayed like that for several hours, simply watching the lights dance before their eyes. When the first hints of dawn began to appear over the horizon Trajan walked over to the set up and stashed his treasures back into their hiding places then returned to the den site with Aniu, both still pressed against each other, but not just for warmth...

 **A/N: My apologies this chapter. It is probably messy and vague as I'm writing it at three o'clock in the morning but that is no excuse. Just sorry if it's really, really bad.**

 **P.S. The title is both literal and figurative. Don't know why but I felt like I had to say it.**


	17. Rude Awakenings

**A/N: Hello again everyone, sorry about last chapter but this one should be better and I promise not to leave half of it in my head like I did the last one. I've also been trying to get away from starting the chapters with Aniu or Trajan waking up but it's not working so far. Review and give some ideas please. Ahhh, who am I kidding, no one will review. I'll be left in the dark, again. Just like last time.**

 **17: Rude Awakenings**

Trajan awoke with a loud yawn. He looked around the small den that had become his home in the last few weeks. A large pile of animal bones in one corner, the sack with his northern lights creation kit leaning against the back wall. He had decided to bring it in here after the pack had nearly discovered it on a hunting excursion and he had to quickly lead them away with a false scent before they sniffed to close.

He continued his sweep of the cave until his eyes came to rest on the large, furry lump that had nestled into his side. He smiled down at a still asleep Aniu and felt a strange feeling tug at his gut. He didn't know what it was as he had never felt this way before but he couldn't ignore it. It burned like a fire in his stomach and made its way up to his heart as he continued to take in the beauty of the creature next to him. He felt a strong surge of protectiveness wash through him and thought to himself, 'what I wouldn't do to protect you Aniu.' He was shocked by this as the only other person that he would ever do absolutely anything for would have been Maverick, but they had grown up together like...

'Brothers!' He mentally shouted. Maybe this is what it's like to have a sister to grow up with. His real sisters never had a fair chance at life but coming to the pack was liking starting over for him and why not with a sister this time?

He thought over all of the things they had done in the past weeks since she had saved his life. The morning wrestling matches they would sometimes have, the revelations of their pasts to each other, And all the things she had taught him about surviving in the wilderness.

For example, she had showed him how to hunt and track. He remembered his first attempt at tracking a rabbit and how it had led him to a bear's den instead. He had some explaining to do to the alphas when he led said bear right to the den site after he fled for his life. He smiled fondly at the memory.

She had also showed him how to move silently and swiftly like a wolf snaking through the forest. He had picked up on this fairly quickly as he knew how to run and he just had to trade his mad dash for a subtler, more paced lope between the trees.

Aniu was beginning to wake now, feeling the loss of pressure to the back of her neck where Trajan's head had been resting. She lifted her own head and opened her eyes to see Trajan staring down at her with a strange look on his face. She couldn't quite place it but she had noticed that he had started wearing it a lot more often recently.

She gave him a quizzical look to which he just smiled and gave a loving lick to her muzzle. She pulled back in surprise then regained herself and gave him a nuzzle of affection of her own.

They fell back into a calm and peaceful sleep, simply glad to be in each other's presence.

They were awoken minutes later however by loud growling and yips of excitement. They both opened a single eye to peak at the intruders only to see four faces staring back at them. Wake up Aunty Aniu and uncle Trajan! It's past noon already. Did you really think we would let you sleep off the last days of winter?" Asked an excited Remus.

"Honestly, it's like you don't even know us." Added Lexi with a hint of sass.

Trajan wasn't paying attention to their comments as he was still thinking about what Remus had called him. 'Uncle Trajan. There it is again, they've been calling me that a lot lately. Maybe they saw me as a brother to Aniu before I even did. That has to be it.' He thought as the pups continued to bounce around him and Aniu.

The pups had grown quite a lot and were by now considered young adolescents in dog years, and they had the attitudes to prove it.

"Well, get up already!" Shouted Balto, as he stood on Trajan's back not realizing his contradiction.

"Well I might just do that if I didn't have a huge weight sitting on top of me." Trajan growled with a slight smile. He felt Aniu giggle beside him when she heard his jest.

"Oh... right. Uh, sorry." Balto exclaimed guiltily as he hopped off of Trajan and came to wait in front of him with his brother's and sister.

Trajan and Aniu didn't move for several minutes and soon the young wolves ran out of patience. "Well are you going to get up or not? You promised you would!" Lupin protested.

"No, he said he might if Balto got off him. He never promised anything." Aniu giggled at the cleverness of the wolf next to her and saw a small smile creep onto his face too.

The cubs looked embarrassed after being outsmarted so easily then decided that if Aniu and Trajan weren't going to get up themselves, they would just have to provide them with a convincing reason to.

Little Balto was the first to come up with and idea. He whispered his plan to his siblings as Aniu and Trajan dozed off again. The pups approved of Balto's prank and moved into position.

Balto stood and made his way towards Trajan while Lexi went to stand near Aniu. They arrived side by side in front of the two sleeping forms, and Balto counted down from three quietly.

On three, Lexi and Balto pounced on there respective targets, startling them and causing them to stand up while the two young wolves rolled out of the way. At first Aniu and Trajan were confused, until they felt the weight of two bodies slam into them from behind, throwing them out the entrance of the small den only to land face first in the dirt.

They were both too shocked to do anything as the four wolves sauntered out of the cave cheering as their prank succeeded. When the two adults recovered after their harsh treatment, they stood up with groans as their tense muscles stretched.

"Talk about a rude awakening." Muttered Trajan through a yawn. Aniu came over to him and pressed her neck to his in a wolf's equivalent of a hug. They stayed like this for a few more minutes and would likely have stayed longer if they hadn't been interrupted once again by the pups.

"You two are super weird, you know that right?" Lupin told them with a frown on his face.

"Yeah? Well... Your weird," replied Trajan with a visible wince when he realized how terrible his come back was. Lupin snorted and walked back over to his siblings, leaving behind an angry Trajan and a smiling Aniu.

"You leave them alone, Lupin. I think it's sweet how they get lost in each other. I hope I find love like their's someday." Lexi said with a sigh.

"Well I think it's gross." Remus returned with a sour look on his face.

"Yeah, me too." Balto added while making gagging noises.

"Me three." Lupin concluded.

"Uck, boys." Lexi said to herself as she glanced back over to where Trajan and Aniu were again lost in each other's embrace...

 **A/N: Ok so not a very long chapter but I think it's still good. Make sure you guys let me know what you think by REVIEWING *cough, cough* *hint, hint.***

 **I don't really have a plot going right now with this story. It feels like I'm just repeating the same situation over and over again but with different circumstances. But, never fear, because I have seen the error of my ways and I am currently striving to improve myself and this fanfic.**

 **Thank you, and good night...**


	18. Darkness Among the Trees

**A/N: Alright I think we have had enough lovey-dovey romance for a while. Let's get to the adventure of this adventure/romance. WHO'S WITH ME?! *BATTLECRY* "RAAAAAHHHH, FOR NARNIA!" JK, this is not a crossover, calm down. I almost had you though didn't I? Yeah, you know I did.**

 **P.S. After deliberate consideration I have come to the decision to change Aniu's age from 1 1/2 years to 2 1/2 so she will turn three in the coming summer. Also, I read through my previous chapters and realized that I never specified Trajan's age. He is now three as he was born near the beginning of winter if yo remember the sad story about his early pup life. Well, on with the show...**

 **18: Darkness Among the Trees**

Aniu had decided to take the pups on a walk through the forest, maybe even teach them a few things about tracking. Both she and Trajan doubted that they be any good at it as they were still young and had attention spans about as long as there snout.

This gave Trajan the opportunity to travel the surrounding area alone for the first time. All the previous times he had ventured around the canyon, Aniu was always with him. He supposed that it was probably better that she had always been with him as the wolves still didn't trust him much, no matter how often he tried to prove his worthiness.

"You are still just a dog. As soon as the summer comes, the alphas will force you to leave. You will see." They all told him, and he knew they were probably right. After all he was just a guest enjoying their hospitality.

But the thing was, he didn't want to leave. He had found a home with the pack. Sure they didn't count him as a member but it didn't matter to him. Trajan wanted to live with them for as long as he possibly could. So after taking a few bites off the ribs of the caribou that had been caught by the hunting party earlier that morning, Trajan set off. He wasn't sure where he was going, just kind of aimlessly wandering, but he found himself walking up the path to the top of the canyon wall.

As he made his way up, he remembered the night that he had led Aniu past here. It was several weeks ago now, just the beginning of winter. He remembered her attempt to hide from him in the bushes and how she had made so much noise she was like a grizzly bear trying to sneak up on him. He smiled at the thought.

He had walked over to the far edge of the canyon wall, The wall facing south. He looked out over the sprawling forest in front of him and not for the first time, appreciated the vastness of the foreboding expanse of trees. He noticed a pure white gleam beneath the canopy of pine needles however and looked closer to see the shining coat of Aniu, chasing after the three pups that had been dashing around the trunks in a mad game of tag. Trajan chuckled to himself. Aniu was in over her head with those pups. Nothing short of an avalanche would slow the little beasts down.

Trajan glanced upward to view the time. He saw that the sun wasn't due to set for a few more hours but Trajan figured he had nothing better to do, so he turned to face west and wait. He was about to close his eyes for a short nap in the afternoon sun while he waited but his eye caught a black shape moving through the trees. After a moment he was able to discern the shape as Alva, heading southwest and away from the canyon. Trajan made to follow wondering just what the dark wolf was up to...

 _A few minutes earlier_

Balto and his brothers darted between the trees and undergrowth, chasing each other and completely ignoring all the lessons Aniu was trying to teach them.

"Uck, boys." Lexi said as they dashed and circled her trying to get at each other. Aniu smiled to herself and pitied the young she-wolf. She didn't know what it was like growing up with only male siblings, but she guessed that it wasn't easy.

Aniu didn't have time to wonder much longer though as the playful cubs were now bouncing around her, barking and yipping in excitement. She was trying to calm them down when she caught a familiar, yet hated, scent. 'Oh no, not now!' She thought as the source of the horrid odor peeled itself from the darkness of trees.

"Princess, what a nice surprise to see you here," Alva purred as he sashayed over to her. "It seems we never have any alone time anymore since that annoying, pitiful mutt showed up."

"We didn't have alone time before Alva. And I don't plan on ever changing that." She all but spat back. The pups, who had calmed, gathered to watch the exchange.

"Oh, princess. I love it when you play hard to get. It really gets me going." Alva hummed. However the cubs didn't seem to find this as romantic as Alva seemed to think it was. They cracked up with laughter and were rolling on the ground in mirth before Alva decided to put an end to his embarrassment, "STOP IT!" He yelled, his voice seething. "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, you brats!" He yelled at the pups who were cowering in fear behind Aniu.

"Alva, you have no right to yell at these cubs as they are not yours and you have no position of authority what so ever in this pack." Aniu calmly stated, barely controlling her roaring anger and hate. "I suggest you leave. NOW!"

Alva scampered off into the woods with his tail between his legs and Aniu turned to check on the cubs. They had recovered from the fright of Alva's outburst and were now just shocked by the audacity of the dark wolf.

"Is he even allowed to talk to you that way?" Lexi asked with a look of disgust planted on her face. Aniu sighed feeling like the last few minutes had just exhausted her the same way hours of running might.

"Pack law says that my paw may be pursued by anyone as I am only the alpha heir and it doesn't specify the techniques that may be used when trying to gain the courtship of another, so technically speaking, yes he can. He also seems to believe that this will somehow win me over and for that he is probably the stupidest wolf in the pack." Aniu responded with her own look of hatred.

"He doesn't need the lame pick-up line to hold that title." Joked Balto and his siblings joined in his laughter while Aniu simply graced them with a small smile before turning to face the setting sun...


	19. Pursuit

**19: Pursuit**

Trajan made his way down the backside of the canyon wall and set off after Alva. He was curious to see what the wolf was up to and where he was going when the sun would soon be setting and the nights were still freezing cold.

It was difficult for Trajan to stay on Alva's trail as he wasn't experienced in tracking but he managed. Trajan also noticed that he left no paw prints in the melting snow banks and couldn't figure out why. He got his answer after about an hour of following Alva's scent and saw him moving quietly through the brush ahead.

Trajan noticed that he was walking crookedly, zig-zagging back and forth, and saw that Alva was avoiding the snow spots. _'So he doesn't want to be tracked. He certainly has some experience, I haven't seen a single paw print anywhere.'_ Trajan thought as he continued t follow the dark wolf, keeping him in his sight but not getting to close. 'Thank goodness we are heading up wind. It'd wouldn't be good for me to come all this way and have him simply smell me.'

After another few kilometers to the southwest, Alva stopped in a clearing. It wasn't unlike any other clearing in the forest. A small open space with a clear view at the sky. There was even a little brook bubbling along the far side. Trajan was about to consider turning around and heading back as Alva didn't seem to be up to anything. He was turned around and had walked only a single step when he heard a dreadful sound, like an animal crying out in pain.

He turned to see it was Alva letting out a fierce howl. One that called others to his side and Trajan had just enough time to hit the dirt before shapes with glowing eyes started appearing on the other side of the brook. They all remained just inside the shadows but one. The largest one leapt the stream and made its way to Alva.

"Alpha," Alva said by way of greeting. "How come the preparations?"

"That is none of your concern. Now what have you to report?" The large wolf demanded. He looked a lot like Alva. The same black colouring, a similar shifty and malicious look in his eyes. But somehow he seemed more threatening.

I have the enough of the packs trust for what we have planned. It will not be difficult for me to lead Alaquis into the trap." Alva responded, "but I don't see why we don't just take the pack by force. We have superior numbers and the element of surprise. We could wipe them all out."

"Yes, but who will be left to bow to me. I have no need for dead subjects. And if you continue you to think like that, I will have no need for you as an heir. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father." Alva mumbled, thoroughly intimidated.

Now how comes the other piece? Tell me you have made progress."

"Not to worry alpha. I will soon have Alaquis's daughter begging to marry me."

"Good." The dark alpha wolf finished. He turned to leave and Alva followed, hopping the stream and disappearing into the surrounding forest.

Trajan waited several minutes to make sure they were gone before he leapt up from his hiding spot and started a wild sprint back towards the canyon. His only thought the entire way, 'ANIU IS IN DANGER!'

When he made it back to the canyon he dashed into the small cave where he and Aniu had stayed all winter. Seeing that Aniu wasn't inside, he sprinted to the alpha cave and barreled inside, completely ignoring the massive breach in law.

"ANIU'S MISSING!" He bellowed. He started pacing back and forth in the mouth of the cave as he ranted on about what he had seen as the three wolves looked on. "I-was-in-the-forest-about-four-kilometers-southwest-from-here-and-I-was-following-Alva-and-he-was-talking-to-this-big-wolf-that-he-called-alpha-but-then-he-called-him-father-and-he-had-said-something-about-him-being-the-heir-and-he-wants-to-trap-you-and-kill-you-Alaquis-and-take-over-the-pack-and-he-wants-Alva-to-marry-Aniu-for-some-reason-and..."

Only then did Trajan notice that there were indeed three wolves in the cave. And Alaquis, Matra, and Aniu were all staring at him in confusion.

Trajan put on his guiltiest look at having rambled for at least half a minute. He took a deep breath and started over. We he was finished all three wolves wore expressions of shock.

"I see." Was all Alaquis said. He looked more grave than shocked. He asked, "so it sounds like he would rather avoid an open fight, correct?"

"He said he didn't have any use for dead subjects." Trajan answered.

"Hmm, it seems our friend Cerberus is up to his old tricks again, dear." Alaquis noted over his shoulder to Matra.

"Indeed." She growled.

"Thank you for this information, Trajan. You have no idea what this means to the pack. Without you, we would have been in great danger."

"Just trying to do my part for the pack," Trajan replied.

Aniu, who had been silent ever since Trajan had entered the cave, walked over to him and gave him a nuzzle of appreciation. "Yes, thank you. I knew Alva was more than he was letting on and I was baffled by how much attention he was paying me. All the other males only ever tried, how do you say it, 'dating' me, a few times but he persisted. I thought he was just stubborn but I guess his father had this all planned out."

Trajan returned her nuzzle with one of his own and told her, "Hey, what are friends for right?"

The alpha pair, having watched the encounter, smiled to themselves while Matra whispered, "what indeed..."

 **A/N: well that was an exciting, adventurous chapter. Looks like Alva was up to something after all. Or his father was, at least. And no I could not resist putting in a little romance, even if Trajan and Aniu don't see it as romance but everyone else clearly does. When are they going to realize their feelings for each other? It's so frustrating reading this and not knowing!**

 **On a side note, whose pumped for the jungle book movie? I know I am, and that released scene of Mowgli leaving the pack? I've watched it about eight times and it still hurts. Why do wolves have such tragic stories? I can't stand dem feels dou.**


	20. Preparations

**A/N: Well everybody, chapter 20 and I'll have reached 20,000 words by the end of it. That's pretty exciting.**

 **Alright, the review: So Trajan and Aniu have grown very close emotionally as you have no doubt figured out by now. They still see each other as just good friends and even siblings. But every one else sees the true affection between them is more than a sibling love. Trajan just discovered a secret plot to usurp Alaquis and Matra and take over the pack and has informed the alphas of the problem. Also Aniu is in more danger than we thought because Alva wants her even more than previously presumed.**

 **I guess we'll just have to see where the story takes us...**

 **20: Preparations**

Alaquis, Matra, Aniu, and Trajan spent the rest of the night conversing on what to do about Alva's betrayal.

"We must not let him know that we are on to him, or we could provoke them into a confrontation, Which would not go well for us. Alva was right about their superior numbers at least." Alaquis said.

"Agreed. We must keep up the charade as if nothing is wrong and continue our duties as normally as we can." Matra nodded.

"Ok, but what are we going to do to them? We can't just wait for them to make the first move. We need to be ready!" Trajan was frantic. He had grown fond of the pack (even if they didn't all like him) and he didn't want to see it utterly destroyed.

"I fear that there is little that we can do." Alaquis began, slowly. "Cerberus's pack is at least fifty strong while we only hold thirty-six, and four are barely more than cubs."

"There has to be something we can do!" Trajan shouted. Now yelling at the alpha isn't exactly the wisest move, especially since Trajan is really only a temporary member of the pack. But he didn't care, he was determined to do everything possible to protect Aniu... _'Well not just Aniu of course, the entire pack.'_ Trajan thought to himself. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that his first thoughts were true. _'I would do anything, absolutely anything to keep Aniu safe.'_ He thought to himself.

Alaquis, understanding that Trajan was truly distraught, decided to excuse the offense and continue, "We have limited resources here now but we can hunt and gather beforehand if Cerberus does resort to violence and tries to starve us out. This canyon not only provides cover from the elements, but also an efficient bottle neck that will only allow so many of his wolves through at a time. We will be able to hold for a time but will eventually fall."

"Wait, father, there is more." Aniu said. "We can send word to the neighboring packs asking for assistance. They could prove useful in the fight if diplomacy goes to the wind."

Matra jumped on Aniu's words, "Yes, if we can get word to them and they will surly help us. The leaders there have no love for Cerberus either." Matra's enthusiasm dimmed however. "But Alva might notice if wolves begin disappearing from the dens. And we don't know how many spies he actually has. How are we to get messages out without him knowing?"

"Make them out to be deserters." All eyes snapped back to Trajan, who had been lost in thought. "Spread rumors that those delivering messages are actually ditching the pack. Alva will surely hear the rumors and no doubt report them. If we can make Cerberus overconfident, he is more likely to make a mistake."

The three gathered wolves stared at him briefly then Aniu tackled him in a huge hug. "Are you always this clever?" She asked him sarcastically.

"Oooff... Only when I need to be." He choked out, as Aniu was cutting off his airway. She hastily backed off, allowing him to rise.

"Uh-hum," Alaquis coughed, regaining the everyone's attention. "Well now that the matter is settled, we have work to do."

"Yes, I will gather up the betas and a few of my most trusted scouts and tell them the plan." Matra responded, dismissing herself and walking out of the cave.

She was almost out when an idea struck Aniu. She turned and called to her mother, "Mother, wait!" When Matra twisted to face her, Aniu continued. "See if you can get in touch with Nava as well. I know he doesn't live here anymore, but this is still his childhood home and I think he would want to be here to defend it with us."

"Good idea, Aniu. I will see what I can do." Matra finished and was gone from the den.

Trajan and Aniu made to leave as well but Alaquis called them back. "Do not leave yet, I believe there is still one thing that needs to be addressed." Alaquis waited for the two to regain there previous positions, then turned to Trajan, "You said that Cerberus would prefer to keep his take over from getting violent, correct?"

"Yes," answered Trajan slowly. They had already discussed this so he was confused as to why he was bringing it up again. "but based on your description of him, I doubt that a fight would stop him from reaching for his goal."

"Yes, Cerberus is not one to easily give up on his goals, but that is not what I needed to discuss with you." Alaquis firmly replied. "Cerberus believes that by toppling our leadership and killing me in his ambush, he will be able seize the pack in their weakest moment. But, Trajan, you also reported that his interests also lie with Aniu and her connection with Alva. In order to make his rise to power more accepted, he wants to unite his family with ours in order to avoid a future rebellion."

"I agree. If Aniu is in Cerberus's and Alva's sights, then she is in danger." Trajan concluded while worryingly staring at Aniu.

"I can take care of myself if Alva tries anything foolish." Aniu defended.

Alaquis, who also appeared concerned, began "I have no doubt about that, daughter. But we may need you to distract Alva from our activities. Based on Trajan's report, it seems that you are his utmost concern. We should use this to our advantage, but only f you agree."

Aniu remained silent throughout Alaquis's speech and for several minutes after. Finally she said, "very well. For the good of the pack, I will do my best to keep Alva off of our scent."

"No way!" Trajan barked before Alaquis could say anything. "It's way to dangerous! What if he attacked you while you were alone? Or if he tried to impose himself on you again? Or if he figures out our plan and takes you hostage? Or a million other things that could go wrong. How could you agree to this!?" He blurted out. Then, turning to Alaquis he continued, "and how could you put her in such a position? She's your daughter and this is so risky!"

Alaquis, who was beginning to get annoyed by Trajan's outbursts, replied curtly, "I know all this and I also gave Aniu the decision. She is old enough to decide herself and if you had let me finish I was going to assign you as her personal bodyguard for the next few weeks." He ended with a harsh glare at Trajan, who flattened his ears and let out a whimper.

"Oh... I, uh... Didn't know." Trajan looked so embarrassed, Aniu couldn't help but let a small smile dance along her snout.

"Now, you will have to remain out of sight and not compromise the plan in any way. Can I trust you with my daughter's safety?"

"Uh, yes sir." Trajan said, feeling thoroughly scolded.

"Good. Now Aniu you understand that you must also appear to distance yourself from Trajan. You can no longer sleep in the same den or be seen too close together." At the depressed expressions he was receiving, Alaquis added, "I'm sorry, but if we are to succeed, we must take every precautionary measure. You are dismissed now. I will give you a moment to collect yourselves, but expect to find only Aniu here when I return." And with that, He disappeared out the cave entrance.

Aniu, who was crestfallen by the news, glanced at Trajan and saw a similar expression on his face. She decided they both needed a little cheering up. She strode over to him and gave him a playful lick on the nose. His ears instantly perked up and he gave her a lick as well. "I'm not thrilled to be spending anytime at all with that deceitful traitor, but I feel better knowing that you will be there keeping an eye on him."

"Me too. You know, even if your dad hadn't assigned me as your bodyguard, I probably still would have followed you around?"

Aniu graced him with a knowing smile and gave a response to match, "I know."

"Good. I want you to know that I will always be there for you, no matter what." As he told her this, Trajan stared into the deep golden pools of her eyes, marveling at their beauty.

"I know." She said again, staring into his bright, worried blue eyes. She broke their shared stare however when she rubbed her neck along his and tucked her head beneath his chin, pressing against the soft fur of his chest. He snaked his head over and around hers and nestled into the scruff of her neck.

They both settled on the ground, never releasing each other, as they knew that they probably wouldn't be able hold one another for a long time...

Eventually they were forced to let go of each other because neither wanted to jeopardize the plan or see Alaquis mad when he came back and found the two even closer together than when he had left them.

With a whimper, Trajan stood and slowly exited the cave with his head hung low and his tail drooping. Aniu sadly watched him disappear out of the den and put her head between her paws with a whimper of her own.

The rest of the day seemed to pass by quickly for both Aniu and Trajan as they both remained in their own dens. Trajan in one that he and Aniu he previously shared, and Aniu in the Alpha Den.

The sun dipped below the horizon and the cold, Alaskan night air set in. Trajan couldn't stop himself from shivering and as he miserably dozed he unconsciously scooted closer and closer to Aniu's old spot, seeking the warmth that was no longer there.

In the Alpha Den, Aniu couldn't sleep at all. She stayed by the entrance of the cave, staring out over the canyon and treetops beyond. She was quickly tiring from all the day's excitement and emotion and was about to drift off to sleep when she noticed the lone figure making his way out of the canyon and heading east. She instantly recognized it as the sleek form of Baron, her parents' second in command.

 _'He must have been one of the wolves selected to deliver the message.'_ She thought as she watched him gracefully run through the dense forest and out of sight. Then another thought occurred to her, one that made her whimper quietly. _'The cubs wouldn't have been told the plan because they are too young, but they will be crushed when they hear the rumors about Baron's abandonment.'_ The thought of the terrible emotional burden that Maia would be carrying for the next few weeks or so and the horrible heartbreak that the poor cubs would feel was enough to force tears to Aniu's eyes.

But her sadness swiftly turned to anger when she remembered the cause of all the pain. _'When this is over, I hope I have the pleasure of tearing out Alva's throat myself.'_ She thought as her steady stare over the trees became a hateful glare until she eventually passed out from exhaustion.

 **A/N: Ok, that was emotional. Sorry I haven't updated in like forever but I wanted to make sure I gave you guys a nice long chapter to enjoy. I was originally going to make this two separate chapters but I just decided to combine them. I hope to continue making the chapters longer and longer until I get between like 3,500 and 5,000 words per chapter. But that might not happen for a while. Luckily I don't plan on ending this anytime soon either so yeah for longevity.**

 **Well that's it, I guess, other than feedback. Tell me if you want to see anything in the story at all anytime in the future and I will consider adding it. I'm looking for a 'date' scenario for Aniu and Alva as they now kind of have a forced relationship, so any ideas on that are seriously appreciated.**

 **Thanx, and by the way I'm thinking of doing a signature signature, (you see what I did there? Hahaha) so let me know what you think of this:**

 **This is Wolfbeliever42 of the Intergalactic Duck Agency (IGDA) signing off...**

 **PS: thanx to AbrasiveTEHwolf for the wonderful piece of encouragement that was left in chapter 19 for me. I appreciate it and your right, the strength of the wolf is the pack, the strength of the pack is the wolf.**


	21. Preparations II

**A/N: Hello again guys and gals. So to comment on a comment I would just like to say that, HoboJr2000, yes I tried to give Alva that overconfident and arrogant kind of personality that Steele shows. Where he is all about appearance and believes he is better than everyone else. Thanks for the PM too...**

 **Also, to answer another comment, AbrasiveTEHwolf, yes I believe that Aniu is indeed the wolf that helps Balto find his courage and save the medicine. If you watch the second movie,** ** _Wolf Quest,_** **it will kind of explain it but don't hope for too much because as it isn't as good as the first...**

 **Well on with the show...err, story... Oh, you know what I mean...**

 **21: Preparations II**

Trajan woke up late the following morning. He yawned and tiredly blinked his eyes. _'Why am I still so exhausted?'_ He thought. He looked beside him and was about to wake Aniu, when he realized why he felt so dreary. Only cold leaves and needles greeted him as he stared blankly at the spot where his best friend once slept.

"Oh, that's why." He miserably told himself, remembering the events of the previous night. "This is going to be harder than I thought. Seeing her everyday but having to act distant."

 _'Its for the good of the pack. I have to do this no matter how much I don't want to. And I really, really, really don't want to.'_ He repeated in his head.

He slowly left the cave hanging his head at first but realizing that he probably shouldn't look depressed, he raised it higher, but not by much. He made his way into the forest so he could be left alone to think. _'Well, at least I will be able to watch her while she's with Alva. That dirty piece of filth. Why did he have to go and ruin everything? I suppose I should probably get back to the canyon, I don't want to miss out on their little date.'_ And with that in mind, Trajan strode back to the canyon to find Aniu and Alva and figure out where they were headed...

Aniu woke on her old bed in the Alpha Den confused. _'Why am I here and not with Trajan?'_ She thought. Then, all at once a raging storm of all the emotion of last night hit her. It was all she could do to not yelp out loud and burst into tears. _'Its for the good of the pack. I have to do this no matter how much I don't want to. And I really, really, really don't want to.'_ She told herself.

She took a shaky breath and made her way to the entrance of the cave, noticing that the sun was already nearing its peak. She made her way down to the canyon floor looking around for Trajan. When she didn't see him her heart tightened a little more. She continued to the center of the canyon then further to the edge of the woods. She was about to enter the woods to maybe hunt a rabbit or two for breakfast but was stopped when she heard the familiar purr of a terrible voice right behind her.

"Princess, where are you off to now? You haven't even said good morning to your favorite wolf yet." Crooned Aniu's least favorite wolf. _'It's for the good of the pack. It's for the good of the pack.'_ She told herself before slowly turning and gracing Alva with a forced smile.

"Good morning, Alva." She said through clenched teeth. Alva was taken aback by her response. He was expecting another rejection or simply for her to ignore him. _'She must finally be coming to her senses.'_ He thought as he put on his infamous arrogant smile.

"So, how about you and I take a walk up to the top of Bear Mountain? I hear the view is amazing." He asked her, trying to sound persuasive.

Aniu was about to respond when she heard a rustling in the forest behind her she looked over her shoulder and saw Trajan making his way out towards them. _'I can't let Alva see him.'_ She thought to herself. Quickly coming up with a plan, she strutted towards Alva, making sure he kept all of his attention on her. She had to pull a few poses she wasn't proud of but it seemed to work, as Alva was now panting hard with his eyes the size of boulders. She slowly passed him, making sure to run her tail under his chin and forcing him to turn with her. She noticed that Trajan was now crouching in the woods behind a bush, but it didn't hide him very well. _'He must have seen us,'_ She thought. _'But there is no way he will be able hear us.'_

She had another idea, then loudly said, "GEE ALVA, I THINK A WALK UP BEAR MOUNTAIN SOUNDS GREAT." She looked back to where Trajan was hiding and made eye contact with him. He slowly nodded and she knew he had understood. He ran back into the forest in the direction of the mountain, _'I'm glad he'll be there.'_ She mentally said to herself before turning her attention back to Alva.

He was a little confused as to why she had announced their plans, but he assumed that she just wanted everyone to know she was going for a hike alone with the fittest wolf in the pack.

Aniu started off towards the mountain in the middle of their pack's territory and namesake. She glanced back at Alva and noticed him still staring at her dreamily. "Well, are you coming or not?" She abruptly asked him.

"Oh.. Oh yeah, let's get going." Alva seemed to regain himself and made to follow Aniu into the dense forest...

 **A/N: ok so a short little chapter. Just thought I'd right this before the actual date scene in order to 'set the mood' so to speak. I mean you always have to prepare before you go on a date right? That's a serious question, I have never been on a date before so I wouldn't know. I'm still young so it's ok, plenty of people out there still. But hey, we have to consider cooties right? I mean it's not like I have never been asked out but I've never really been interested. you know what I mean. But enough about me. How about Aniu and Alva, we need a couple name for them. How about 'Analva' or 'Aliu'? Your right that's dumb. Oh well, I never was good at anything to do with dating...**

 **Well, this is Wolfbeliever42 of the Intergalactic Duck Agency (IGDA) signing off...**


	22. Romance ish

**Date scene, here we go...**

 **By the way it will be in Trajan's POV. Thought I'd try something different...**

 **22: Romance...ish**

I made my way towards the mountain as fast as I could. I knew that Aniu and Alva would be close behind me and I needed to find a suitable place or number of places where I could observe the trail without being seen. I scouted my way up the mountain in search of such spots.

Luckily, I was able to find an old, small trail that ran adjacent with the main path and slightly above it. And I figured since Alva was always trying to look down on everyone, he'd have no reason to look up.

I got into my starting position at the start of trail lying low on the overhanging bluff. And not a moment to soon. I could hear Aniu and Alva talking and within seconds they were in sight, making their way towards the mountain.

Alva was obviously trying to impress Aniu by telling her stories of his supposed adventures outside the pack. I had already heard some of his stories and based on the reactions of the other wolves, I knew they were all complete lies.

One of Alva's most frequent story was how he had single-handedly killed a full grown male grizzly bear and he was currently telling the story now.

Aniu tried to look interested, but I could tell by the droop in her tail and hanging head that she was hating every minute she spent with the deceitful wolf. She was constantly glancing around as well, looking for him he assumed.

I crept to the edge of the small rise and silently willed Aniu to look up. As if she had sensed me, her head slowly rose trying to look inconspicuous, and her eyes met my gaze. I could see obvious relief in her wonderful pools as they stared into me. But her attention was quickly brought back to Alva when he nudged her slightly, asking how amazing she thought he was.

"Well? I'm pretty great if I do say so myself. Care to agree?" Alva purred into her ear. She visibly flinched and Alva seemed to notice but soon forgot when she nodded to him, albeit sadly.

"Sure Alva there's nothing else in the world quite like you." She replied. I could hear the scorn in her tone but Alva was to busy basking in the praise to notice this time.

"Thanks. You know I'm glad you finally came to your senses and forgot the mutt. What could he possibly offer you anyway. I'm a much more suitable partner." Alva boasted and it took all my willpower not to leap from my vantage point and clamp my jaws around Alva's throat.

I saw Aniu spare me a quick glance, possibly to see my reaction, but my attention was focused on the dark wolf that strode arrogantly in front of me. 'Just one bite to the back of the neck. That's all I need to cripple his spine. Just one bite' I thought to myself, but realized that if Alva died and failed to report back than Cerberus could declare war on us with reasonable cause.

So, I calmed my racing pulse and slowly the snarl retreated from my face. I continued to follow them up the path, moving as silent as a wolf. Living with the pack had thought me a much about grace and the natural balance of everything. All the wolves seemed to be connected to their surroundings, always knowing exactly where they were and how everything around them fit into place.

But none seemed more connected than Aniu. She had a way of moving with the forest that made you believe she had materialized out of the tree trunks. She was so swift and silent on the hunt that no prey ever stood a chance when she was in the lead.

I often admired the stealth and agility that Aniu often displayed and had once asked her to teach me. She was enthusiastic at first, but after several lessons of me bumbling around the forest, trying to connect with my surroundings with my eyes closed and instead sensing things, we quickly gave up.

Aniu and Alva were about halfway up the mountain by now, continuing at an easy pace with me sneaking above and always staring down at them. It seemed that the farther up the mountain they got, the closer Alva appeared to Aniu. Maybe it was just my imagination but he seemed to be drifting closer and closer to her. She seemed to notice to and was trying to inch away from him inconspicuously but, as she moved farther and farther away she got nearer the solid rock wall that I was perched on that allowed no further escape.

When Aniu was finally pressed up against the cliff in her efforts to remain distanced from Alva, he seemed to take it as a sign of exhaustion and made to help her. Before she could protest, he quickly slipped up against her so she could support her weight on him.

If it had been a simple act of kindness, than I wouldn't have minded as much, (even if he was pressed up against my best friend and making her extremely uncomfortable) but as Alva began walking again he stretched his head out and gave Aniu a quick lick to the muzzle. Aniu recoiled and smashed into the wall, knocking her over.

I had had enough as well but knew that I couldn't directly intervene. I looked around frantically for someway to get Alva back for his sly trick. I settled with an old tree, laden with snow, hanging across the path. I stepped out onto the horizontal tree and it creaked slightly. I gazed down at Alva to see if he had heard, but he was to busy with Aniu to notice.

She was slowly rising to her feet and looked up at me with sadness and barely concealed rage in her eyes. I knew that she hated being near Alva, and hated touching his foul coat, but most of all, I knew that she could not stand having him give her any affection whatsoever.

I signaled the tree I was on and she seemed to understand as she regained herself and made her way under the low hanging tree and further up the mountain to sit just on the other side, effectively drawing Alva after her. He wasn't previously in directly under the tree, but now he stood their, right beneath Trajan, flirting with Aniu.

"Wow, princess. I didn't think my affection would send you spinning. Your more in love with me than I thought." He cooed to her.

I was again tempted to leap from the tree and squeeze the life out of him, but stayed where I was. Then, standing on my hind legs only, I reared back and brought my full weight swinging back down onto the tree, shaking almost all the snow free from it's branches. I leapt back to the ridge and solid ground. Quickly hitting the dirt and I was out of sight.

I heard Alva give a startled yelp, than a quiet "umpf" as the snow settled on top of him, burying him completely. Aniu only smiled at the covered wolf as he dug his way out, seeming to think that this was no where near enough punishment for what he did to her. And I couldn't agree more.

Alva, by now was completely free of the snow and glancing up wildly as he looked for the source of the attack. Aniu spoke up then, saying, "the melting spring snow can be treacherous. You must be more wary of branches heavy with it." And with that she turned and continued up the mountain. Alva however, was't so graceful. He tried to run after her and slipped on a bare patch of ice and fell to the ground a second time.

He whimpered then stood and followed Aniu up the rest of the path, with his head lower and his tail between his legs.

I had the feeling that he wasn't going to try anything else, at least not today, and I too made my way up the mountain remaining hidden, but always watching...

A FEW HOURS LATER...

 **(Going back to third person now. Only wanted a brief taste of the first person, but be sure to tell me what you guys thought of it and if I should do more.)**

Aniu and Alva had returned back to the dens in silence with Alva walking slightly behind Aniu, still embarrassed by his incident with the snow. When they entered the canyon he made his way quickly to his own cave that he didn't allow anyone to share with him.

He disappeared through the entrance and Aniu let out a sigh of relief. It had been extremely difficult for her to even be near him, and even harder to pretend to be interested in him.

She walked over to Alpha Den feeling completely exhausted and needing comfort. When she arrived at the cave entrance however, she saw it to be empty. _'Mother and Father must be out on a hunt then.'_ She concluded. She resigned herself to her small bed in the corner and curled up protectively, trying to defend herself from the tears that she knew were coming.

She was distracted though when a new warmth seemed to surge through her from an unknown source. She looked up and found Trajan curled around her with his head resting on her shoulders.

He opened his eyes to meet hers and they stared into each other's souls for a while. Aniu broke the silence however, when she said, "you should not be here. It isn't safe for us to be seen together anymore."

But Trajan's response warmed her to the core. He gave her a small, sad smile and whispered, "I saw a lonely heart in need and I just couldn't resist lending my strength no warmth to the poor wolf's crying soul."

Aniu allowed herself to cry openly now and turned so she could bury her face in Trajan's warm and comforting fur. He didn't mind the waterworks on his coat and only placed his head on top of Aniu's shaking form as she sobbed and let all her frustration out. But she knew that no matter what Alva ever did to her, Trajan's comfort, friendship, and loyalty would always be there to pick her out of the dirt that Alva left her in. And she knew, in that instant, that she had never felt better than with Trajan, and doubted she would ever grow tired of his loving embrace...

 **A/N: That was emotionally challenging to read over. And I'm the one who wrote it. I'm not gonna lie, this gushy feelings thing is starting to get to me. Why did Alva have to get in the way? He ruins everything...**

 **P.S. I decided to ditch the sign off. A little to... Unusual, even for me.**


	23. New Plan

**23: New Plan**

The next few days passed in a blur for Aniu. She went on her daily 'walk' with Alva, Trajan never far away. She couldn't remember what happened most of the time. She usually retreated behind a smiling facade when Alva was near and would often nearly walk into trees. Alva noticed her distraction but thought he was the one distracting her with his muscular and powerful body, so he didn't mind.

She stayed in the Alpha Den whenever she wasn't out with Alva or eating with the pack. She never even saw the Cubs once during the entire time and often ride about them and their health. On the rare occasions when Aniu saw her sister, Maia, she looked exhausted and worn.

When Aniu questioned about her health and that of the cubs, she would just give a small smile and respond, "We'll make it." And that would end the conversation.

But the hardest part however, was seeing Trajan. She and he had both agreed to stop hanging around each other but they both hated it with a burning passion. Seeing him at the carcasses eating everyday and not being able to approach him was killing her inside and it was killing him too. They both just wanted to run together in these uncertain times and comfort each other but knew they could not without threatening the packs survival.

Alva was always right next to Aniu during meal times and would sometimes give her a playful nip to the ear when she had her head down. She would yip at him and growl but that only seemed to encourage him. Aniu also noticed that whenever she made any noise Trajan would instantly stand up, ready for action. But with a glance I let him know it was ok and to not blow their cover for just a few bites.

He looked extremely disappointed every time he settled back down, and I couldn't blame him. If for some reason their ruse was discovered and a fight broke out, she would gladly help him gouge out Alva's eyes and tear out his throat. She smiled at the thought but it quickly disappeared when she felt another bite to her ear. But this time she ignored Alva and continued eating.

On the night of the fourth day after Aniu's and Alva's first 'date', just after midnight when the rest of pack was asleep, The alphas, Aniu, Trajan, and Maia met in the Alpha Den. Two scouts had recently returned the previous night, informing Alaquis and Matra that the Eagle peak pack was prepared and willing to help them defend their home, but the White Mountain pack was in the midst of raising three different litters that year and didn't have the numbers to spare.

The Eagle peak pack was only twelve wolves, a smaller pack but the numbers still helped and the white Mountain pack only boasted about fifteen. Also not many but any one wolf could make a difference if war broke out.

Still no news from Nava's pack up north, the one Baron had been sent to retrieve. They were all worried about him because he had the longest and most difficult journey but if anyone could make it, Baron could.

But the small group had other matters to discuss as well. "I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with Alva. He becomes bolder and bolder with each passing day, and I fear what he may attempt next." Aniu spoke up.

Trajan, who was sitting right next to her, gave her a lick to the muzzle. She instantly returned it and added a rub to his neck.

Alaquis cleared his throat and began, "Understood. We will soon be ready to either make a counter attack on Cerberus's pack or threaten them not submission. I personally still hope to avoid open conflict but don't believe there to be a way around it. Alva is also constantly asking to accompany me on the hunts for which I must not allow because of Trajan's report of his planned ambush. He grows restless and frustrated and his father must be giving him a hard time about it as well. We must act soon." He finished.

"But how?" Maia asked, speaking for the first time. "We cannot attack Alva without Cerberus attacking us, and we cannot root out the spies among our ranks without attracting Alva's attention, and we cannot attack Cerberus as he still outnumbers us. There is so much we cannot do, and little we can." Maia seemed deeply depressed and they all knew she was struggling through keeping the spirits of the cubs up as well as her own in such dire times. Not to mention the absence of her mate.

Aniu and Matra both converged on her and began licking her nose and muzzle together to try to comfort her, but it didn't help much.

Trajan, who had been deep in thought, decided to pipe in, "So, based on what I'm hearing, we have insufficient numbers for an all-out battle, we don't know how many traitors are among us, we don't have any way to get at Alva directly, and there is a huge trap waiting for Alaquis in the woods somewhere, right?" By now he had everyone's attention, so he continued, "the way I see it, and by no means am I in charge or making a decision, but we need a new plan. One that isn't all defense and preparation, but instead attack and win. If Alva and Cerberus have a trap waiting for Alaquis I say we let him go, but not alone. A usual hunting party contains about five wolves. So take out Alva and you can still take four of your most loyal wolves with you. If this trap is a wolf ambush, then there is no way for Cerberus to hide the scent of an entire pack in a small enough patch of forest. I doubt he as posted more than ten wolves, easily enough to ambush an unsuspecting hunting party."

Here Trajan stopped, looking around the small assembly to see if any disagreed with him. They all nodded their agreement but still seemed confused, save for Alaquis, who seemed lost in thought. "Well, like I said before, I say we send Alva and the hunting party in, but have fifteen or so wolves following a kilometer or so behind. This way, When Alaquis reaches the ambush sight, he will have back up close at hand." Trajan concluded and waited for the groups reaction.

They all seemed to be thinking it over hard, but Alaquis, who must have realized Trajan's plan before he finished, said, "it will be risky. We do not know where the ambush site is or how many wolves will be concealed there. I do however agree with Trajan. This is the best course of action for us to take at the moment and defeating the ambush party may allow us a better chance at taking down Cerberus. If we allow no one to escape and report back, Cerberus will have to presume that my four killed all of his wolves, making us look a lot better than we actually are."

"Yes, but we are forgetting one crucial point. Alva. He is sly and a good fighter and we can not allow him to slip away or be killed. Cerberus may not care much for the lives of his pack but he will probably retaliate if his son is killed, even if we have every right." Matra pointed out. She hated to be the one pointing out the flaws, but she didn't like the plan sense it was putting her mate in at a lot of risk. They may be the alpha pair and appear stern and harsh, but she still loved him deeply.

Alaquis, sensing her distraught, approached and stared deep into her eyes, I'll be ok. I may be past my prime, but this old wolf hasn't remained alpha through love and kisses."

Matra smiled a little at that, "I'd like to think that it had quite a lot to do with love and kisses, because if I hadn't received any, I'd have kicked you out years ago."

Alaquis let a goofy grin of his own spread across his muzzle as he gave her a quick swat to the muzzle with his paw. She accepted it, then retaliated with her own swipe to his shoulder, pushing him over while she clambered on top of him, wagging her tail.

"Alright, alright you win. let me up." Alaquis said as he struggled to get back up.

"Ah ah ah, I believe some kisses were mentioned earlier." Matra said with a mischievous smirk. Alaquis conceded and peppered her face with licks until she backed up and off of him. He jumped up and was ready to pounce onto Matra turned back when she spoke up clearly, "don't even think about it, darling. You have a meeting to get back to and I have some more work for the pack. I'm going to see if we can find the ambush site before the hunt and maybe give us a slight advantage." And with that she strode out of the cave with her tail up and her head held high, never once looking back.

Alaquis straightened, looking sheepish. "I uh... wasn't doing...um anything." He stuttered out pathetically.

Throughout the entire scene the others in the cave had just stared at the two alphas awkwardly, not wanting to intrude on their private moment, but not knowing where else to look. When Alaquis finally sat up, They were relieved, but also saddened. The moment of fun had been a welcome break form the bitter seriousness of the meeting and past few days and when it ended, it felt like a huge weight had resettled on the group.

Maia who felt the weight the heaviest, excused herself quietly, "I should probably get back to the cubs." And she too exited the cave, but her head and tail were low unlike her mother's.

The three remaining stared after her with worry in their eyes. But Alaquis brought their attention back when he said, "all we must discuss now are the details. The hunt should be as soon as possible, I suggest tomorrow. And we must select those to accompany me."

"Yes, they must be good fighters and loyal to the pack. We don't want to bring any of Alva's possible followers along to even their odds." Aniu agreed and added.

Alaquis thought for a moment, then listed, "Bleidd, Cana, Creesha, and Trajan. Agreed?" Aniu and Trajan both went rigid when they heard Trajan's name.

"Me sir, why me. How could I help?" Trajan asked, confused. He was extremely surprised but also honoured that Alaquis had included him. He wasn't the best fighter or the fastest, so what would Alaquis need him for.

"Indeed why him? He is in enough danger following Alva and I around. He could be seriously injured or killed!" Aniu turned to Trajan, frantic. "Tell him you can't go!"

"Uh... Aniu, I may just be a guest here and not really a member of the pack, but that still doesn't really give me the authority to disobey the alpha." He worriedly replied, concerned by the obvious distress in her voice.

"Then I want to go to." She declared, turning back to Alaquis. She stared at him daring a challenge and, unfortunately, she got one.

"You must understand that I can not allow that to happen. Alva will be there and if he sees you along, than he might decide to avoid the ambush to protect you. But with Trajan along, probably the one he hates the most here, he will be overly anxious to kill him and be more likely to make a mistake. A mistake we can take advantage of." Alaquis then turned to Trajan. "If you accept, I would also like to make you a full member of the pack. You have done much for us and I will never be able to fully repay you, but I'd like to try."

Trajan was shocked. Here he was, just a dog from a town on top of the world and in the middle of nowhere, being asked to join a wolf pack. He couldn't be more grateful to Alaquis and the pack for all they had done for him. He stammered out, "uhh...sure, yeah I guess, if you ant me to."

Alaquis smiled at the younger one's modesty. He had done so much for the pack and didn't even feel like he deserved to be a part of it. "Well then, congratulations, Trajan, dog of Nome. You are, by all rights and purposes, a full member of my pack and a Bear mountain wolf."

Aniu was elated on the inside, but still worried about how Trajan would fare tomorrow. She walked over to him and sat directly in front of him, gaining his attention immediately. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked, very concerned about him.

He nodded. "I want to do my part for the pack. My pack." He added with a small smile, liking the way it sounded. "My pack." He whispered again. Just a year ago, or even a few months ago, he hadn't even thought of the possibility of joining a wolf pack. He never looked down on wolves like other dogs but he certainly feared them. But now, here he was, a member of a new family, and it was more than he could have asked for...

 **A/N: sounds like some risky business is about to go down in the forests of Alaska. Will the plan succeed, or will all end in failure and Alaquis and Trajan left dead and bloody on the forest floor as Cerberus and Alva close in on the pack? Stay tuned to find out...**


	24. It's A Trap!

**24: It's A Trap!**

The day started just as normally as it could with a huge fight looming over the pack like a storm cloud. The tension was so noticeable, you could smell it in the air. Everyone seemed to be on edge.

Trajan made his way over to the small group that was gathering to prepare for the hunt. The other wolves were curious as to why the dog was coming but when Alaquis nodded to him, they didn't say anything. They all knew the plan but didn't realize it was really Trajan's plan and intel that was making the counterattack possible.

Trajan joined them and they began to walk at a steady pace towards the forest when Alva appeared out of the shadows and approached the small group. Several of them had to bite back growls when they caught sight of the traitor.

"Alpha, do you mind if I join this morning?" He asked innocently, trying to sound persuasive. Alaquis studied him for a long time, then slowly nodded and continued towards the forest. Alva fell in line behind him and followed with the rest of us.

We hadn't gone far when Alva sniffed the air experimentally, as if he'd caught a scent. He spoke up and told Alaquis, "alpha, I smell a caribou, possibly two, about four kilometers southeast I think."

We had expected Alva would try to lead us towards his real packs territory. Alaquis signaled him to lead on and though none of the rest of us smelled anything, we followed him on high alert, ready for anything...

 **BACK AT THE DENS:**

Aniu had watched from the Alpha Den as her father, Trajan, and the others disappeared into the forest with Alva. Now she watched as, one by one, wolves began to disperse into the forest inconspicuously. She recognized several of them and was surprised to see Maia wandering off as well.

Aniu thought it was unfair that she had to sit back and wait while the others were out there, putting themselves at risk and trying to save the pack. She wanted revenge on Alva for the way he had been treating her and planned to get it, one way or another...

 **THE HUNTING PARTY:**

Trajan and the others continued following Alva southeast for several kilometers, much more than four, but Alva kept insisting that it was just a little farther. Eventually he led the group through a part of the territory that Trajan had never been before and he was starting to get nervous.

 _'They could come from any direction.'_ Trajan thought as he followed close behind Alaquis. It was about midday before Alva finally stopped and what the others saw wasn't promising.

They had come to a break in the tree line and about twenty meters in front of them was a plummeting ravine. Trajan walked closer so he could see the bottom and he guessed that it was at least sixty meters down, a fatal fall for sure. He hastily backed up and looked around for Alva, making sure he wasn't right behind him and ready to push him off. But unsurprisingly, Alva was no where in sight.

"And so, let it begin." Alaquis boomed. His voice, loud and clear, echoed off the cliffs before them and traveled through the forest. The small party all turned to face the woods from where they had come, forming a semicircle facing outwards.

As if a wall had been beat down, wolves surged out of the forest, at least nine of them, cutting a direct path for Alaquis and the others. Alaquis spoke again, this time, encouraging and confident. "Stand strong and do not yield. We must only withstand the poor excuses of wolves for a few minutes. Our reinforcements will soon arrive."

He had only just finished his last sentence when the wave of flashing claws and teeth crashed down. Chaos broke loose as wolves went rolling together, trying to get at each other's throats. A dark wolf, not Alva, came charging straight at Trajan and he couldn't move to either direction as he had wolves surrounding him.

He barred his teeth and readied himself to take the charge but as the wolf got closer and pounced, Trajan hit the dirt and the dark wolf went flying over his head. He landed heavily in the snow behind Trajan, on the very edge of the cliff. Trajan charged him and struggled on top of him. He bit and snapped at the wolf but he couldn't get at any of his vitals.

Trajan was in a never ending adrenaline rush now. Everything was tinted red and was moving in slow motion. He snapped at the wolf below him and caught him on the leg. The wolf howled in pain and Trajan yanked hard, dragging the wolf with him. He turned and launched the whimpering wolf over the cliff and it howled in agony and fear as he fell to the cold ground below and then all was silent for Trajan.

The blood haze was gone, the battle was still raging around him but he couldn't hear anything but the terrible cry off the wolf that had just died. _'No. The wolf I had just killed.'_ Trajan thought, overcome with guilt. 'What gave me the right to determine when his life ended? It could have been me just as much as him. What if he had thrown me off instead?' Trajan couldn't shake the thoughts from his mind but, luckily, he didn't have to. Another howl rang through the forest, this one crazed and wild and suddenly another wave of fur burst through the tree line. All thoughts of guilt were run from Trajan's mind as he became elated to see his pack come charging in to help.

The hunting group hadn't suffered more than a few gashes and bruises, but it wouldn't have remained that way for very long. The new wolves crashed into the enemy wolves turning the tide of the battle as Cerberus's pack now had to defend themselves from both the rear and front.

Trajan caught Alaquis's eye. He had suffered minor injuries except for a long cut that ran the length of his back left leg, causing him to limp, but he gave Trajan a brave smile then set his jaw and nodded. Together, they charged into the fray once again.

The fight was going well for Alaquis and his pack. All of Cerberus's wolves were either tired out, bleeding out in the snow, or retreating. But then everything went wrong...

 **A FEW MINUTES EARLIER...**

Aniu was running through the forest, following the scent that the reinforcing wolves had left behind. 'I am not sitting and staying while my family is off fighting risking their lives. Knowing Alva, he probably ran off to avoid the real fighting like the coward he is. I will be fine.' Aniu thought as she neared the cliff.

She could hear the fight now. A series of yelps and cries of pain, mixed with the growls and snarls of wolves as they rolled together, snapping. She needed to get there and put on a new burst of speed when she collided with a large wall of fur. she rolled with the wolf, both clearly confused until they came to a stop just at the edge of the forest, looking out at the battle. The wolf, who had been running from the battle moments before, was perched on top of Aniu and snarling down at her, his jaws inches from her throat.

"Well, well, well. What have we hear? Alaquis's little princess. Ha, ha. Well that will buy my way out of here." He lifted his head and let out a piercing howl, turning all the heads of the wolves on the cliff. There were gasps and cries of surprise as they took in the situation. But loudest of all were the growls from Alaquis, Maia, and Trajan.

Trajan stepped forward, his eyes never leaving the wolf on top of Aniu. "I swear, wolf, if you hurt a hair on her body, I will tear out your eyes myself and let you wander blind until I get bored and push you off this cliff and let you fall to your death." Trajan threatened with a snarl.

"Brave words, for a worthless mutt." The wolf spat back. Then he turned to Alaquis. "Let the rest of my pack go, or I rip out her throat here and now and let her blood stain the snow."

With a final growl, Alaquis moved aside and ordered the pack to as well, allowing the remaining enemy wolves through. They strode up to the hill and one grabbed Aniu by the tail and the other by the scruff of her neck. They began to drag her away into the trees when the wolf that had caught Aniu, turned and barked at the pack, "if you try to follow us we will kill her. If you try to rescue her, we will kill her. Await the word of our Alpha, and you can discuss the terms of your surrender then." And with an arrogant smirk, he disappeared into the forest, leaving behind a furious pack, a sullen leader, and a crestfallen dog.

When the pack got back to the canyon, everyone went their separate ways. The battle had been a success, Alaquis wasn't dead and they had taught the rival pack that they were smarter than they appeared, but at a terrible price, and none felt like celebrating.

They all slinked back to their respective dens with their tails between their legs. Trajan followed Alaquis back to the Alpha Den, his head low and his paws dragging. Alaquis was trying to appear strong for the sake of the pack, but if one looked closely, he could see the despair and fear in the alpha's eyes.

As they entered the den, they were met by a frantic Matra. "Have you seen Aniu? I can't find her anywhere around here. I was down with Maia's pups looking after them while she was gone but now I can't find Aniu!" She was on the verge of passing out from hyperventilation, and Alaquis nudged her back into the cave to lie her down while he broke the news to her.

Trajan followed but he wasn't listening to anything that was being said. He was lost in his grief and despair. _'How could she just be gone? It's not fair, she wasn't even supposed to be there. Why did she have to be there? How can anything be so cruel? It's not fair!'_ Trajan's sadness was turning to a burning anger quickly and he started pacing, trying to figure out a way to save the one he cared for most in the entire world...

 **A/N: well that was unexpected... Unless your HoboJr2000 and basically helped me write this entire chapter. Shout out to you, ol' buddy ol' pal. Did you guys like the Star Wars reference title. But don't get excited again, THIS IS NOT A CROSSOVER. Calm down.**

 **On a side note, I wonder how things will work out for the pack. It's gonna take a lot of guts and brains to get her out of Cerberus's den site. And they are going to have to find it as well. It's not looking good for Alaquis and his wolves.**


	25. Infiltration

**A/N: Ok everybody, let's review! So since chapter 20, We have seen Aniu 'date' Alva, we have seen what a colossal jerk he is, and we have seen him try to get Alaquis killed. Trajan is obviously very jealous and nervous when Alva is around Aniu and he really, really, really wants him gone. Now Aniu has been kidnapped and no one has any idea how to rescue her and they are not sure they can.**

 **Will Alaquis and Matra accept the demands Cerberus will make or will they risk Aniu's life to mount a rescue? Nobody knows... Except me, I know of course. But nobody but me knows...**

 **25: Infiltration**

Trajan had stopped pacing and now sat at the entrance to the Alpha Den, staring into the vast forest outside the canyon but not seeing anything. It had been a long day and Trajan had been sitting there for several hours and all night now. He had run through every single possible idea he could come up with. All of them could end up with him dead, or even worse, Aniu hurt. He felt numb from the pain and didn't know what else to do.

'Why didn't I see her coming?' He thought. 'I should have known she would have followed us anyway. I know her better than that. I should have known better and protected her.' Trajan was so distraught he didn't even hear Alaquis approach him from behind.

"I should have known she would try something foolish." He began, making Trajan jump. "She is my daughter and very stubborn, just like me. At the moment I'm not sure how to help her other than surrender, but something tells me you have other ideas." Alaquis gave Trajan an inquisitive look and they could see the grief in each other's eyes. Both wanted to see Aniu home safe and sound.

Trajan had been playing with a vague idea that was so crazy it might just work. "Well Alpha. I know that we can't surrender and Aniu CANNOT, under any circumstances no matter if I have to fight off the entire pack myself, come to ANY harm. I've been thinking of something, but it's risky, and doesn't sport great chances of success." Trajan glanced back at Alaquis and saw a sad smile crease his muzzle.

"Do what you must to save my daughter. I can not think of a no better warrior than you. Go, but know that you will be alone and I cannot afford to send any wolf after you. You will have no back up and will have to face the enemy alone. Can you do this?" Alaquis's smile had faded and he looked weary, barely able to keep himself in an upright position.

Trajan was excited. He couldn't feel more awake. _'No more hiding and planning for us. It's time I take the fight to them! I'll get Aniu back and smear it in their smug noses too'_ Trajan couldn't wait to go and after he gave Alaquis a curt nod, he tore down the path and out of the canyon into the lightening forest as the sun was beginning to rise.

Trajan first headed back to where the fight had occurred the previous day. It took him about half an hour to get there at full sprint and by then the sun had only risen half way above the eastern horizon. The view from the cliff at the sunrise would have been incredible if not for the corpses and blood that was scattered across the snow. The twisted bodies of wolves stared unseeingly at Trajan as he passed by and he had to force himself not to throw up. He remembered the funeral ceremony that had been done for the dead in his pack...

 _All of the fallen from his pack had been collected and placed under the pack's sacred tree. according to Alaquis, every pack had one and it was where the dead were always left. Their's was in a wide, circular clearing that was well protected from all sides by a thick layer of bramble and thorns. It didn't seem like anything, not even a bear, could get through it. And that was exactly the point._

 _The tree in the center was an enormous pine tree with sprawling roots that seemed to cover every inch of the forest floor. The entire pack had showed up to mourn the lives lost (save the spies, who had all deserted during the fight)._

 _The pack proceeded down a well-worn path towards the tree in the center, ducking under and leaping across the massive roots. Alaquis and Matra were in the lead followed close behind by Maia and her pups, who looked scrawny and weak from lack of eating. The rest of the pack filed in behind them, carrying the bodies of the three wolves that had died in the fight. Alaquis and Matra arrived the base of the pine and turned to face the gathered wolves._

 _They spoke about what great wolves the lost members had been and how their sacrifice would not be in vain. The alphas made their way to a spot beneath a covering of roots. First Alaquis dug three small holes in the ground, then Matra deepened each hole. Maia followed suit, then the rest of the pack one at a time came forward and dug a little deeper and a little wider until there were three graves in the dirt._

 _The three fallen wolves were slowly and gently placed into the graves on there stomachs. Trajan hadn't known the tree dead wolves personally and felt bad for not getting to know them better. Cana, from the hunting party was among the lost along with two of the reinforcing wolves, Malakai and Seeka. It looked like they were just sleeping and Trajan found it hard to believe that they were actually dead. The alphas and Maia began to push the dirt back into the holes on top of the wolves and the rest of the pack let out a long, sullen howl in memory of the dead..._

Trajan forced himself to focus on his mission and looked away from the cold bodies of the dead. He wondered why no one had been sent from the rival pack to collect them. Alaquis had explained that it was under a banner of truce when collecting the fallen and none of his pack would have attacked Cerberus's wolves. _'Cerberus must think less of his pack than we thought if he won't even retrieve his lost warriors.'_ Trajan thought as he continued to search the tree line for a scent.

Finally he came across a scent so familiar it might as well have been his own. _'Aniu!'_ He shouted in his head. _'By making the other wolves drag her, she was able to leave behind a scent trail. way to go Aniu! Good job thinking in the moment.'_ Trajan silently cheered. He took off in the direction of the enemy dens, and hopefully, Aniu.

It was midday by the time Trajan got close. He hadn't encountered any wolves yet but knew they would be on overtime, watching for any sign of an attack. Trajan did everything he could to mask his scent by rolling in a small creek he crossed along the way, then in the mud along the banks. He smelled terrible but not like himself, so he considered it a win.

Trajan cautiously continued deeper and deeper into enemy territory, remaining vigilant for signs of trouble. At last, after following and retracing the scent for another half hour, he made it to a large hill of piled boulders. Cerberus's den site. The stack must have been at least forty meters high with gaps and spaces in between that must have been entrances to hidden caves. The pile was huge and several wolves were bounding up and down the rocks, entering and exiting the dens and caves.

But only two wolves caught Trajan's attention. They were standing, looking bored, outside a small cave entrance at the base of the pile that was covered over with heavy branches and bramble. 'That must be where they're keeping Aniu.' Trajan thought. But when he moved to get a better look from his hiding place in the bushes, he caught sight of another wolf, and as dangerous as it was, he couldn't contain the growl that rumbled in his chest. Alva was standing outside the entrance to the den as well, Seeming to talk to the heavy covering over the entrance.

Trajan moved closer to the prison and was able to discern what Alva was saying. "...own fault. If you had just stayed in the canyon you wouldn't have run into Suba and gotten dragged here. There's no one to blame but yourself. I certainly didn't want this to happen to you."

Alva continued but no sound could be heard from inside the cave. Alva was getting frustrated by the lack of reply and after another few minutes, departed, but not before snapping at the two wolves to make sure they stayed put and on guard.

Trajan continued to sneak around in the bushes surrounding the boulders, trying to find a point at which it would be easiest to reach the small jail den. He didn't have to worry much about being spotted as the two guard wolves weren't even paying attention to anything and seemed to be dozing. Trajan reasoned that the quickest way was a direct path from the tree line to the cave. There was no way he could creep around the edges of the pile without being spotted and he decided he'd just have to take his chances.

 _'I'll wait until tonight to try anything. That way most of the pack will be asleep and the guards will be even less attentive than they are now.'_ Despite the dire situation, Trajan couldn't help but let a small smile creep across his face. _'I'm going to give Aniu such a hard time about all of this, as soon as I get her out.'_

Trajan backed up slowly for several meters before he turned and ran the opposite direction, back towards the creek he had crossed earlier. When he arrived he waded in, and though the water was freezing, started downstream. He travelled for about an hour before he found a steep incline of mud that led up from the river bed. 'This will have to do.' Trajan thought as he began to dig into the soft mud. Within minutes he had a suitable den about two meters deep and two wide. He crawled inside and tried to make himself comfortable on the cold, wet floor.

 _'It isn't ideal, but the brook will hide my scent and den from the other wolves and I need rest if I'm going to mount a rescue mission all by myself tonight.'_ Trajan thought as he slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a light sleep...

He awoke just past midnight and stretched his tired muscles for the strain he was about to put them under. Trajan made his way out of the den and back into the creek with a slight gasp as the freezing cold water assaulted him. He trekked back upstream until he found the spot where he had entered just a few hours ago. He promptly got out and shook himself dry, then began at a light jog towards the enemy den site. He remained cautious however, looking for wolves patrolling the area but he again didn't encounter any.

 _'Either Cerberus is very arrogant or very foolish to not post guards anywhere. He must think no wolf is foolish enough to try a rescue mission. Good thing I'm not a wolf I guess.'_ Trajan thought humorously as he continued his steady lope through the trees.

He arrived at the boulders and quietly made his way to the side where Aniu was. Trajan was elated to see only a single wolf outside the den but was wary because it meant that the other one could be in the forest somewhere. Trajan quickly searched the immediate vicinity but found no trace of the other wolf.

He returned to the spot that allowed him the closest view of the den and lied low in the undergrowth until he saw the most ideal moment to begin his plan. Finally, about an hour before dawn, when the sky is darkest, The guard wolf got up and began to walk towards the woods. He looked like he was going to relieve himself, as he began to sniff some of the trees on the edge of the clearing. Trajan made his way over to him I silently and prepared himself to pounce. As soon as the other wolf turned to face the other way, Trajan attacked.

It wasn't much of a contest. The guard wolf had no idea what was happening until he received a knock on the head from behind and fell to the ground, unconscious. Trajan swiftly dragged his body out of the way and leaned him against a tree. Then he slowly crept to the small den at the base of the pile, his eyes sweeping back and forth for any sign of another wolf.

He arrived at the entrance and began looking dragging some of the branches out of the way. After he made a hole in the covering big enough for him to squeeze through, he leapt inside. The dimness was sudden, and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. But as soon as they did, his eyes fell on the silvery white figure that was laying against the far wall of the den. Aniu seemed to be in a fitful sleep as she tossed and turned and murmured in her sleep. Trajan made his way cautiously towards her and caught a small piece of her sleep chant, "Trajan! No Alva, don't!" Aniu bolted awake before Trajan could reach her and began panting heavily.

Her eyes searched to cave hungrily and when she saw Trajan she was so confused that she sat back down and stared at him quizzically. "Where did you come from?" She asked, clearly confused.

Trajan couldn't resist putting a little humor into his voice as he answered. "Well, The older dogs from Nome told me that I was brought by a great white bird from the sky, but the dogs on the sled had other ideas."

Aniu seemed to get over her shock when she realized what he was implying then growled. "Did you come all this way just to tell me stupid jokes, or did you have something else in mind?" Trajan stopped laughing then and tackled Aniu in a blur of gray. She was caught off guard and went rolling backwards with Trajan on top of her.

"You know, I thought I was rescuing a beautiful damsel in distress, not a rude, little pup. But I guess I'll just have to improvise." Trajan said with a hint of a smile as he got off of Aniu and led the way towards the entrance of the cave and made his way out. Aniu followed and together they made a beeline for the trees...

They ran all the way back to the Canyon they called home and it wasn't until they were half way there and the sun had fully risen that they heard the angry howls of a single wolf behind them, calling his pack together and demanding an explanation from the ones that had been on guard.

Trajan and Aniu smiled to each other as they ran because they were once again able to enjoy each other's company and felt like the two happiest beings in all the world...

 **A/N: well that was bold, daring, risky, and a little romantic if you ask me. Perfect stuff for an action/romance story. So a longer chapter than usual but I couldn't leave you guys wth another cliffhanger by ending halfway through now could I? No, that would be mean. So here you go, over 2,500 words. Enjoy.**

 **On another note what do you think will happen next? Will Cerberus call for an immediate attack, or will he wait and call a council with Alaquis to discuss the future of the two packs? Nobody knows...**

 **Again, I know of course, but you guys don't know and that's the point. Of mysterious endings like 'nobody knows...'**

 **Well it's been a blast,**

 **Wolfbeliever42**


	26. Promotions and Meetings

**A/N: chapter twenty-six here we go...**

 **Trajan's point of view by the way.**

 **26: Promotions and Meetings**

Aniu and I finally made it back to the canyon in late morning. We tore down the center, past many confused wolves, up the path on the far wall, and tumbled into the Alpha Den. Alaquis and Matra, who had been eating a small breakfast of a single rabbit each, were startled by our entrance, but soon got over it when they saw Aniu.

They bounded over and piled on an already tired Aniu and crushed her under their combined weight. But her mother quickly got over her joy as well, and began angrily, "what in the name of the great spirits were you thinking?! Going off after them like that, so irresponsible. Do you have any idea how worried we were? What if you had been killed!?" She continued but I was too exhausted to listen properly and Matra's words just blurred together in an endless torrent of words.

Aniu seemed to be in a no better state than I, and I smiled slightly to her. She smiled back while enduring the her mother's rant with her ears pressed flat against her head. The Alpha's finally seemed to notice our fatigue and silenced for a moment before Alaquis stated, "You two are dismissed, for now. Trajan, your abilities never cease to amaze me. Thank you, I would have done anything to get Aniu back but you made everything a whole lot easier for me and this pack."

I just nodded slightly and hung my head low again in exhaustion. Matra spoke then, her voice less angered but still stern, "We will have patrols and posts set in case you were followed back. Cerberus is clever and most likely won't mount a large offensive but he can be unpredictable as well when he is angry." She then turned and left the cave without another word.

It took several minutes longer for Aniu and I to recover enough to leave as well, and we made our way out side by side. We headed down the path and dragged ourselves towards the small den we shared at the base of the back wall. When we got inside we promptly retreated to the bed of leaves and pine needles and fell into a peaceful sleep instantly.

 **...**

I woke several hours later, just after nightfall, and yawned sleepily. I looked down to my side where Aniu lay leaning against my warm coat and smiled contently. I licked the top of her head lightly and thought about what had occurred that morning. 'I was willing to do anything for her. Anything to keep her safe.' I remembered the feeling of dread and horror that had come over me when I saw the wolf holding her down or when I sat and looked over the expanse of trees and couldn't figure out how to rescue her.

I was about to rest my head back down for more sleep when Aniu opened her golden eyes and stared at me sleepily. She licked my nose slightly, tickling it, then pushed her own into the crook of my neck. I felt warmer instantly, as if her affection fueled my very being. She mumbled from my neck, "I never thanked you for rescuing me. I couldn't have escaped on my own and who knows what they would have done to me if I stayed in there any longer."

"All part of being your bodyguard, remember? I like to think that I take my job very seriously." I replied comedically. "But, uh, I do require payment." I tilted my head upwards from her, clearly sticking out my cheek. She seemed all too happy to give and began licking my entire face. I laughed at her exuberance and said, "alright, alright! That's enough! Ha ha, cover Trajan in drool, very funny." I shook my head back and forth to clean it as Aniu settled back down beside me with a mischievous grin.

When my face was spit free, I glanced can back down at Aniu's smiling form and couldn't resist smiling myself. "Seriously, There isn't anything I wouldn't do to keep you safe. You know that right? If there is anything you ever need, I promise I will always be there, no matter what." And I meant it. Some just say the words and they mean nothing, but I meant everything I said to Aniu in that moment and by the look in her eyes, I knew that she understood.

She rested her head back down on my front legs while keeping it pressed to my chest. she snuggled her body even closer into mine and I rested my head on hers and fell into a content slumber.

 **...**

It was the next morning and I woke with a grumbling stomach. All my muscles ached from the mad dash I had put myself through yesterday and now I was paying for it. I got up to stretch them and Aniu groaned as I moved away. She seemed to be in as much pain as I was, as she nearly toppled over from her stiff legs. It took us several minutes to feel lose enough to walk, and we slowly made our way out of the den. The brightness of the sun startled us and we blinked to adjust our eyes, and were surprised to see a large group of wolves waiting patiently outside the den. They all seemed to be staring at us in shock, no, they all seemed to be staring at me in shock. But it like wasn't shock, more like awe, as if they couldn't believe I actually woke up. I was a little embarrassed because it looked like most of the pack was here and said something real intelligent like, "um... Hi." Not to my surprise, no one responded but continued to stare at me.

Then from somewhere in the back of the gathered wolves, someone shouted, "All CHEERS FOR TRAJAN! Hero of the pack!" And everyone began to bark and howl simultaneously. The noise was so overpowering it hurt my ears and I had to press them flat to reduce it to a dull roar. I was swept away in the current of wolf excitement and dragged to the alpha den along with Aniu who seemed just as confused as me.

We were dropped on our rumps in front of Alaquis and Matra, who stood outside the Alpha den entrance and had looks of pride on their faces. But small smiles also played at the corners of their mouths. I instantly realized that this was their idea and began to think of ways of how to 'thank' them for the rough treatment.

Alaquis interrupted my thoughts however when his voice boomed out across the canyon. "Trajan of Nome, you have done this pack a great deed by rescuing my daughter and heir to the title of Alpha. Would any here deny this?" Alaquis's glare swept the crowd, daring any of them to speak. Unsurprisingly, not a sound was uttered. He then turned his attention back to me and continued. "Matra and I have decided to officially make you a member of the pack. Though we have done so already, it was in private and kept a secret but now with the spies rooted out, we can make it official. Do you accept?"

I was still a little confused but I nodded my head. Alaquis smiled at me warmly and declared, "You are now a full member of my pack and are subject to my rule. You are no longer only Trajan of Nome, but now Trajan of pack Bear Mountain as well. Congratulations." As soon as he finished the wolves behind me lifted their heads and let out a long howl and Aniu joined her own sweet voice to the chorus as well.

When the howl ended, Alaquis regained everyone's attention with a sharp bark. "We still are not done however. Few of you know this but if not for Trajan we would most likely have already been overrun by Cerberus and his followers. It was his spying on Alva that allowed us to learn of the plot. His idea to sneak messengers out to other packs, asking for assistance. His plan to turn Cerberus's ambush into a trap for them instead, and his bravery and courage that rescued my daughter from the clutches of Cerberus, single-handedly."

The wolves were once again stunned into an awed silence and I felt a little embarrassed by all the attention. Alaquis was stretching it a little bit when he said it was all my idea to send the messages and switch Cerberus's trap around as I couldn't have thought of it without the others but he seemed to be pulling out all the stops.

What he said next shocked me even more. "That is why, after very little thought and conversation, Matra and I are raising you to the position of Beta. You will command wolves of your own in battle, assist the alpha pair when required, and take my place as alpha if something should happen to myself, Matra, Aniu, Maia, and Baron. Effective immediately, you are sixth in line for alpha and one of my most trusted members. Do you, Trajan of Nome and pack Bear Mountain, accept this offer?"

For several moments, silence reigned. Everyone was quiet as they waited for me to say something, anything. Finally, I was able to squeak out a reply, "I accept." All the wolves gathered cheered and barked so loudly and suddenly that I jumped up at least a whole meter. I turned to see Aniu beaming at me as she barely contained her joy. It wouldn't be proper for the heir to the alphas to charge the new beta and tackle him off the edge of the small bluff they sat on. But I could see the excitement in her eyes as they seemed to glow and sparkle with pride.

 **...**

Even though we were still technically at war, Alaquis and Matra insisted on throwing a festival in my honour. It wasn't much, thankfully. Just a large assortment of different foods including freshly hunted elk, deer, caribou, moose, rabbits, and even geese. I wasn't sure how they caught the geese and I didn't want to know. At some point every wolf in the pack came up to me to congratulate me. Some were less friendly than others, but I tried to remain polite with all of them. Aniu stayed by my side the entire time, not saying much, but her presence alone would always be enough.

By the end, I felt so full that if I took another bite I might pop. I had eaten three rabbits, a goose, a deer leg, and a large portion of a moose. I couldn't possibly eat anything else but the wolves ate as if they had never been fed before in their lives. I watched as Aniu downed her fourth rabbit after eating most of a caribou and an entire deer by herself. And she still looked hungry.

I thought I might lose everything I just ate if I watched any longer so I slipped out of the canyon to enjoy the peaceful night air of the forest. I made a quick stop in the den I shared with Aniu to pick up my sack of bottle shards, matches, and a lantern but none of the wolves seemed to notice me. I circled around to the backside of the canyon, taking the long way, and set up the pieces. I lit a match (one of my last ones) and lit the lantern.

The canyon wall came to life with colour and I watched as they danced across the surface, diving and climbing and twirling together. I don't know exactly how long I sat there watching or when I first felt the presence next to me that I knew to be Aniu as she pressed her body to mine in the cold of the early spring night, but I was happy and that was all that mattered.

 **...**

The next morning felt more normal for me than the last few but there was still something different in the air. The festivities of the night before seemed to desert the pack as a cold tension took its place instead. Everyone was waiting for something to happen. No one was sure what it would be, but something was going to happen. I noticed all of this as Aniu and I walked up the path to the Alpha Den. We entered and were unsurprised to see the Aniu's parents and Maia already there. Baron was still missing in action and the five us were starting to seriously worry about him. Not only for his sake, but also Maia's and the pups'. Maia seemed to be getting thinner by the day and the pups refused to leave the den. They hadn't seen sunlight in days and they couldn't have been eating much.

Alaquis started the conversation by voicing his concerns on the matter. "Baron is still absent and we haven't heard from him nor Nava in several days now. We must assume that they will not be able to reach us in time and continue with our planning. With the Eagle Peak pack we have forty-two capable wolves but Cerberus still outnumbers us and the Eagle Peak pack has yet to arrive. If Cerberus attacks today or tomorrow, we will undoubtedly be overrun if we do not receive reinforcements." His words carried weight and brought to light the dire situation at hand.

"We could try to set up an ambush of our own." Maia suggested tiredly. She didn't seem to ever have enough sleep lately. "Lure them in then attack."

"Maybe," Matra considered. "but we can't spare enough wolves from the canyon defense to setup an effective trap outside." They would most likely just be surrounded and killed."

Maia just nodded slowly and lied down with her head between her paws and her eyes closed, but her ears still swiveling, making sure she was still listening. I couldn't believe the endless reserves of strength that Maia had. Even when she was utterly exhausted she made sure to still pay attention.

I didn't see how we could hope to contest with Cerberus's pack with the odds we had now, but I couldn't let the others know that. I had done the impossible before, right. I rescued Aniu from the very heart of the enemy and made it out unscathed. What's fifty wolves to that? But no matter how I tried to pump myself up, I couldn't convince myself that a battle would swing in our favour.

We all considered our options in silence but a single sound pierced our thoughts. A howl echoed through the canyon, summoning the alphas and signaling an emergency. We al leapt to our paws, including Maia, but Matra quickly told her to lie back down and rest and she didn't protest much. The four of us dashed from the den and sprinted out of the canyon in pursuit of the howl. It had come from a position southeast of the canyon, towards Cerberus's territory.

after traveling several kilometers, we came upon a small clearing between the trees with a small creek running along the opposite side and a cluster of wolves gathered in the center. With a start I realized that it was the same clearing that I had first spied Alva and Cerberus together in. _'This is where it all started.'_ I thought. I scanned the group of wolves and out of the seven there, recognized three from our pack and four from the other.

Cerberus himself was there, out in front and standing proud. Alva was on his right and he snarled at me when he caught sight of us. On Cerberus's left was a big hulking mass of a wolf with several scars tracing his body and a part of his tail missing. He was absolutely rippling with muscle and he had a permanent scowl on his face. On his left was none other than the wolf I had knock out in the forest when I rescued Aniu. He growled when he saw me and I knew he was thinking of that moment.

Alaquis walked towards the small group that stood facing each other and placed himself between Cerberus and his own pack. "What do you want Cerberus?" He demanded.

"Why, is that anyway to greet an old friend like me? I just wanted to talk, that's all." Cerberus purred. He appeared a little to confident for having his latest plan foiled and I wasn't sure if he was faking or sincerely acting casually. "You obviously know about my little plan to take over your pack from the inside out and were somehow able to slow me down some. But it no longer matters because, though I wanted to avoid major violence at first, I can easily send my pack charging in to kill every single one of you." Cerberus was definitely overconfident and he most likely didn't know about our alliance with the other packs. He continued in his arrogant manner, "You can either surrender, or we will fight and I promise you that it will not end well."

His threat didn't seem to bother Alaquis and he boldly responded, "you no longer have anything to dangle over my head, Cerberus. My daughter is safe so I cannot be forced into submission, so we will stand, and we will fight." Alaquis turned and began making his way back across the clearing when Cerberus's frustrated voice spoke out, "I'm still unsure as to how you rescued your daughter, but I assure that, if this battle ensues, I will personally have every one of your pack torn apart in front of you as you watch on in horror, begging to die." Cerberus turned with his own pack and disappeared through the trees.

Suddenly Alaquis's shoulders slumped and his face seemed to age a few years in that moment. "The worst part," he began, "is that he will keep his word. He will not hesitate to torture anyone if he believes it will help him win." The rest of the wolves and I began to make our way back to the den site in silence. There was nothing to say, war had come, in its full force and horror and there was no going back now. We were in this fight for better, or for worse...

 **A/N: it's coming down to the final battle now. Will Alaquis and the pack be able to hold Cerberus at bay, or will it all go south. And where are those reinforcements Alaquis was promised? Also, what happened to Baron? Did he really ditch the pack to strike out on his own, or is he lost in a snow storm? Tune in next time to find out...**

 **P.S. Two chapters within twelve ours of each other, I think that's pretty impressive, what about you? Huh? Huh? Pretty good right? Over 5,500 words in all too. That's pretty cool.**


	27. The Final Battle

**A/N: HEY EVERYBODY! ARE YOU READY FOR CHAPTER 27!?**

 **I said, ARE YOU READY FOR CHAPTER 27?! Good because here it is...**

 **Trajan's point of view again. I'm starting to enjoy the first person experience.**

 **27: The Final Battle**

The day was spent with an air of nervous energy as everyone prepared to fight, save the young ones and Maia. She was obviously in no condition to fight and spent the day in the den with the pups, resting. But the remainder of the pack, thirty wolves strong plus me, were all excited and anxious. No one knew what to do for the remainder of the day so most tried for sleep but only got small bits of it because of all the tension.

A few hours before the sun was going to set, a small group of unfamiliar wolves entered the canyon. They weren't Cerberus's wolves but I definitely had never seen them before. The pack seemed to take heart to their arrival and I heard whispers from them as the gathered to see the newcomers. "The Eagle Peak pack is here. We'll kick Cerberus's tail off now!" The new wolves seemed a little bedraggled and tired but otherwise fine. I had made my way to the front of the crowd to greet them and the pack parted for me. I still wasn't used to my new position and the new wolves were even more surprised than I to see a dog walking down the aisle between the pack.

"What is this?" The wolf in front, presumably the alpha, asked, clearly confused. "Why is a mutt walking among your ranks?" I bit back a growl and continued forward until I was close enough to smell him.

"I am Trajan of Nome and pack Bear Mountain, and Beta to Alaquis and Matra." I was a little curt with my response but what right did this wolf have to come in here talking bad about me? I wasn't going to stand for it.

The alpha seemed even more confused now and said, "We were told that Trajan was a noble hero from distant lands not a mere mutt. You dare lie to me about your true identity?" Now he was in my face. But I wasn't alone in this fight for acceptance anymore. I heard several growls behind me as the wolves of my pack approached threateningly, and in the front and growling the loudest, was Aniu. The alpha hastily backed off and stuttered out an apology.

In that moment, I felt happier and more accepted than ever before. These wolves had stood up for me and were willing to fight for me and that was something that I knew I would never find anywhere else...

It was about an hour before sunset now and I sat on top of the far canyon wall staring into the distance and thinking. The Eagle Peak pack had been settled into a cluster of four small caves near the entrance to the canyon as no wolf wanted to be near them after the scene they made earlier. I had to smile fondly at the memory and still had trouble coming to terms with the authority my position now granted me.

I had been thinking about our chances in the upcoming fight no they didn't look good. We were set to meet Cerberus and his pack on a large open plain to the east at dawn tomorrow and settle things once and for all, but it would likely end badly for us. Even with the Eagle Peak pack we were still a few wolves short of a fair fight.

I sensed another presence beside me and when something warm and soft brushed against me, I glanced down to see Aniu cuddling against me, her eyes closed and a blissful smile on he lips. I smiled to and lied myself flat on the ground and she fell with me, placing her head on my forepaws like she always does. I placed my head on her neck like I do and licked her ear lightly. She flicked my nose with it and I smiled wider.

We had been laying there for several minutes when she broke the silence and asked, "What are your thoughts on the battle. You are a beta now and have power. My father will be relying on you when chaos breaks loose." Her big golden eyes searched my face for some kind of answer or strong reply, but the truth was, I didn't have one. All I could come up with was, "We will fight to the last wolf, and I will face the entire pack myself if they even come within a hundred meters of you."

She looked at me, confused, and I realized I had given away Alaquis's plan. He had pulled me aside after the encounter with the Eagle pack to discuss something that had been bothering him lately. He had asked me to make sure Aniu stayed out of combat no matter what. She was not to come anywhere near the battle under any circumstances. He assigned two wolves and I to her personal guard for the next day and we were not to let her out of our sight, ever. Though I had wanted to be out there fighting alongside the pack, I had to agree that Aniu's safety was also a top priority. I also didn't trust anyone else with her safety except her family of course but Alaquis and Matra had to fight with the pack and Maia was still ill.

With a sigh I told her what Alaquis had asked of me and that I had accepted. She was outraged and her breaths came in short, exasperated, gasps. "How dare he! He has shoved me to the side again, and you let him. I want to be helping my pack, my family, my friends! I deserve to share just as much of the risk as they do!" I tried to calm her down but she was on a roll now. Standing and pacing back and forth in front of me. She went on for many more minutes, expressing her outrage on the subject.

eventually she lied down with her back to me and looking out over the canyon. We could see quite a number of the pack walking around, looking for something to do while they waited for the battle that was still many hours away. I approached her slowly and sat behind her waiting to see what she would do next.

I was surprised when I heard sniffling and whimpering coming from the silvery white heap in front of me. I hurried forward and stepped over her to glance down at her sad face. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she looked up at me with those deep pools of hers and my heart melted at the sorrow I could see inside of the once glowing orbs. I climbed over her so we were now facing one another and plopped down in front of her.

She sniffed loudly again and whimpered quietly as we stared at each other. We stayed this way for a long time, she letting out her frustration and anger and I there for support. When her eyes no longer leaked tears and her whimpers had quieted, she leaned over, bit my ear and pulled it towards herself. Her message was loud and clear and I was eager to comply. I shuffled my prone form over to where she lay until our fur was pressed together and she was satisfied that I was close enough.

After another long expanse of time, as we watched the sun slowly disappear behind the tall pines, she spoke again. But this time her voice was less angry and more dismal. "I just wish that I could help out. Everyone else can and will, but we are still outmatched. I feel useless being unable to help but knowing that I could." I understood what she meant. I felt useless too, guarding Aniu, but I couldn't let anything else happen to her and nothing short of an iron cage would stop her if she was left alone and angry. _'But maybe with the other wolves and I there, she won't attempt anything foolish.'_

I rose suddenly, much to the dismay of Aniu, realizing how late it was getting and mentioned as much to her. She looked west to where the sun had already sunk out of view and she agreed. She rose as well and together we made our way down the canyon wall and back towards our own den, hoping for sleep before the great battle that was to happen the following day...

 **HA HA HA HA! I tricked you! Major let down right there, huh? You thought you were going to read about the fight but I guess you'll just have to wait until next time I update.**

 **But don't worry it will probably be tomorrow so not too bad. I just have to organize my thoughts and let the ink flow. I like to do every chapter in a single sitting so that way I can stay 'in the zone' when I'm writing.**

 **Well I hope you enjoyed my little gag but don't worry, I might not do it ever again...maybe...**


	28. The Real Final Battle

**A/N: OH MY GOSH, I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE! I said this would be out the day after my last chapter but it has been way longer than that and I apologize.**

 **alright, enough playing around and messing with people. This is a very serious chapter. There is no time for silly pranks and obnoxious jokes...**

 **Well, maybe there's a little time. On that note, What do you call an elephant in the water?**

 **Swimming Trunks! Hahahaha! That was terrible. I'm so lonely, someone please help me.**

 **Moving on to the story now...**

 **28: The Real Final Battle**

It was still dark. Dark and cold. I could see my breath as I exhaled. I lifted my head higher and breathed in deeply, then let it all out with a large puff. The mist I created swirled above me then dissipated. I remembered doing that all the time as a pup and every time, my human would laugh and remark on how silly I looked. I had to resist the urge to glance behind me to see the wide smile that would be dancing on his face. I released a small whimper at the thought of never seeing his smile again and felt a small nudge to my shoulder.

Aniu, who had been walking beside me, bumped me again and I smiled sadly at her. It was before dawn and the whole pack was on a slow walk towards the battle ground. We had set out from the den site, leaving only two wolves behind to guard Maia and the pups. Now the rest of us were on our way to the plain that would decide the fate of the pack.

Alaquis had wanted Aniu and her guard to stay behind as well but she was so distraught at not being able to fight, she wouldn't have it and refused to stay behind. The two wolves and I had no choice but to follow her. Now, we were positioned around her, I on her left, Creesha and Bleidd from the hunting party on her right and rear. We strode along at the very back end of the long line of wolves that was marching forward. Bleidd and Creesha were good wolves, and capable fighters, so I wasn't worried if an enemy or two veered away from the battle and attacked us. But like Alaquis, I would have preferred if Aniu had stayed behind.

The large, open clearing was just half a kilometer away now and we could see the opening through the trees. The pack, which had been silent, began to mutter among themselves. Never before had the looming battle been so close at paw, but now it was right in front of us. Once we stepped out of the trees, there was no guarantee of return. As we approached the line of wolves slowed down slightly, but didn't falter or stutter step.

The bravery of the wolves impressed me. They were willingly putting themselves in the middle of a raging battle and all were prepared to die for their alphas. They held their heads high as we moved out from the trees.

Aniu, Bleidd, Creesha, and I moved to a small bluff to one side of the vast expanse of grass and climbed it so we could have an open view of the battle to come. The slight rise was about twenty meters from the edge of the clearing and about the same height. We faced east and could clearly see our pack to the north. From where we sat we also had an unobstructed view to the south where Cerberus and his pack was supposed to appear.

We attempted to make ourselves comfortable on the ledge but it wasn't easy to relax with a battle brewing. Aniu was at full alert as she paced back and forth and scanned the distant tree line to the south then brought her gaze back to the cluster of wolves to the north. It was an impressive sight. With the four of us up here and Maia, the pups and two guard wolves back at the dens, there were still thirty-four wolves down there, ready to fight.

I was admiring the way Aniu's shining coat glistened and caught the light as she paced when she stopped suddenly , glared south, and lifted her head in a howl. I was startled and jumped to my feet to see over the ridge to the other end of the wide clearing. I could only make out movement and indistinct shadows though the trees but soon enough, the muscular mass of Cerberus appeared through the trees, followed closely by Alva and the rest of his pack. As they all emerged from the forest, my heart sank.

Cerberus had at least forty-five wolves with him and it didn't seem likely that we would be able to beat them. They fanned out in an arrowhead formation and began to slowly trot across the kilometer wide clearing. Alaquis and the pack did the same but remained in a tighter formation, not looking to intimidate but expressing cohesiveness and unity instead. When they were only about a quarter of a kilometer apart, Alaquis, Matra, and the leader of the Eagle Peak pack broke off from from the group and continued on alone. Cerberus, Alva, and a mean looking female, who must have been Cerberus's mate, did the same on the other side.

They met in the very center of the clearing and seemed to have a heated conversation. Alaquis did a lot of head shaking and snarling, while Cerberus kept his arrogant appearance. With a howls echoing from Alaquis's and Cerberus's throats, the two groups separated and dashed back to their respective packs, which were advancing at a steady lope towards the other. Cerberus's family formed the point of the arrowhead while our representatives did the same for our pack.

The clash was horrid. To this day and forever longer I will always remember the sounds and sights that the battle caused. The clearing center was a large mass of rolling fur and flashing teeth as wolves grappled with each other, trying to gain the upper hand.

Aniu was sitting stalk-still at the edge of the cliff with a look of such pain on her face, it hurt just to look at it. She was staring at a particular part of the clearing, the very center where I could make it the forms of Alaquis and Matra as they circled with Cerberus and his mate. Aniu didn't blink as she glowered down on the havoc and visibly winced every time one of her parents took a blow, no matter how insignificant. She looked at me and I could see a furious and determined steel in her eyes.

I looked down at the battle, then at her paws, which were bouncing slightly, A habit of hers that she practiced just before she runs. I realized just in time what was going to happen and I barked quickly to get Bleidd and Creesha's attention, then launched at Aniu just as she tried to pounce past me towards the path that led down to the clearing.

She didn't anticipate my intervening leap however, and I landed squarely on top of her, pinning and shocking her for the moment. She began to struggle like never before and I could see tears welling in her eyes as she tried to get free.

She almost managed it as I lost my focus and she was able to kick me across the muzzle and wriggle out from under me. But by now Bleidd and Creesha had sprinted over from where they had been sitting together, watching the battle, and they both tackled Aniu. Their combined weight and strength was enough to contain the struggling she-wolf and upon realizing this, Aniu broke down in tears.

Bleidd and Creesha were startled by this and retreated hastily, afraid that they had hurt Aniu. But instead of running like I expected her to do, Aniu stayed in the dirt, sobbing quietly. Then she turned her big, golden, amber eyes on me, and in that moment I wasn't sure I would be able to force myself to stop her if she made another break for it.

But she didn't and surprised for a second time that day. from her crouched position and with tears in her eyes, she launched herself at me and I was pushed into the dirt. I lied on my back, stunned, as Aniu settled down on top of me and buried her face into the fur on my chest. I glanced up at the wet fur on her cheeks and the terrified and desperate look in her eyes and I wrapped my paws around her. Her muscles relaxed slightly but she continued to sob and together we stayed that way as the raging sounds of the battle echoed around us.

It took Aniu several minutes to stop crying but I didn't mind. Creesha and Bleidd were nearby and keeping a vigilant eye on the area around us so Aniu was still safe, and that's all that mattered. Slowly, sniffling slightly, she raised her head from my tear-soaked chest then plopped her chin back down.

But this time her eyes were staring straight into mine instead of being squeezed shut against my fur. I could see the pain and the sadness, but most of all, I could see the fear in her perfect, golden orbs. Fear for her parents' and family's safety, fear of the uncertainty of not knowing how things will turn out, and fear of something terrible happening and knowing she could have been there to prevent it.

I wasn't surprised by all the love and care that Aniu felt towards her family, and I knew it was killing her on the inside to not be able to help them when they needed it most. I leaned forward and licked the tip of her nose lightly, tickling her, granting me a small smile that quickly faded from her face. She lifted herself off me and I rose as well and stretched my cramped muscles.

Aniu watched from a meter away, lying down on the ground again her tail lacking its usual wag and her face free of merriment. I walked over to her and nudged her. "Come on, Aniu. Come back with me to the cliff. We should watch to see how the battle is playing out."

I stayed right next to her until she reluctantly got up. She kept her head hung low and her ears and tail drooped and I was concerned for her health. It was bad enough that Maia and the pups had to go through something like this, if the war was getting to Aniu as well, I wasn't sure that she would ever be the same again afterwards. 'If we make it to afterwards.' I thought to myself.

We made it back to the cliff edge and what I saw below us worried me even more. Both packs had been thinned out and the bodies of wolves were everywhere. It was a haunting sight and I thought of all the burials there would be after all this ended. But even worse was the fact that Cerberus's pack had managed to surround our own and they were pinned down in the middle.

I counted about twenty-five of our own pack still standing, but they were moving so much I couldn't get an accurate number. Cerberus's pack was still thirty wolves strong at least. I was impressed with our own pack, having taken fifteen wolves from them and only losing nine as far as I could tell. On one of the edges of the inner circle of surviving wolves, Alaquis and Matra were still battling with Cerberus and his mate. They pounced and clawed and rolled with each other but neither seemed to have the upper hand.

Aniu was staring intently at her parents again and I realized that if things went south for our alphas, it would be my fault that Aniu saw it. It would be something that she would never forget and would haunt her forever.

I was about to make an excuse to get her attention away from the battle, but she suddenly let out a loud yelp and gasped with fear. I looked back at the battle, towards Alaquis and Matra and I saw them lying on the ground a few meters from Cerberus and his mate. They advanced slowly with arrogant no victorious snarls on their faces and I wanted to turn away from what was sure to come next.

But as Cerberus and his mate stood over Alaquis and Matra, the two wolves launched themselves from the ground and snagged the throats of the enemy alphas. Alaquis and Matra swung the pair underneath them and their previous positions were reversed. Now Cerberus and his mate were pinned beneath our Alphas and had their throats being crushed by their powerful jaws.

"ha ha ha!" I yelled. "The old fake out routine! Not bad." But my joy was nothing compared to that of Aniu's. She tackled me in a huge hug and I was left without air. I gagged and when she realized how hard she was crushing me, she hastily backed up.

I turned back to the battle and realized that we weren't out of the woods yet though. Upon noticing that their Alphas had been trapped, the enemy pack fought even more viciously and began to close in around our pack.

Suddenly Creesha and Bleidd came crashing out of the forest behind us where they had been patrolling. "Betas!" Bleidd gasped, out of breath. "Their are... Their are wolves coming! They are in the forest! And... And they are approaching quickly."

I was stunned by this as I was completely caught off guard.'More wolves? And in the forest. They aren't ours so they must be Cerberus's pack. They must have seen Aniu up here and wanted to gain leverage!' I thought quickly.

I turned to face the forest with Aniu right next to me. I ordered Bleidd to the left and Creesha to the right and together we advanced towards the forest. But before we had gone more than a few meters a familiar looking wolf bursted onto the small cliff ledge followed by a smaller grey one.

I was too stunned to think and was about to pounce on the newcomers, But Aniu beat me to it. "BARON!" She yelled as she recognized the first wolf and tackled him in a hug not unlike the one I had been trapped in previously. She then noticed the second wolf and tackled him too while shouting "NAVA!"

Creesha and Bleidd were excited as well now and were talking loud and excitedly to Baron, asking him questions about how he had gotten here. I was elated to see Baron and Aniu's older brother, Nava, as well, but there were more important matters at hand.

"Where is your pack Nava?" I asked, anxious to end the battle that still raged below us. He turned and seemed to notice me for the first time and also appeared confused.

"And who might you be?" he asked, ignoring my question.

I sighed impatiently. We didn't have time for introductions, but Nava would probably be more help if he wasn't angry. In a proud voice, I told him, "I am Trajan of Nome and Bear Mountain pack. Beta to Alaquis and Matra." Nava seemed impressed by this and even Baron raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Well met Trajan." Nava said as he approached me. It was hard to believe that this small wolf was an Alpha, but I guess that's why he left his original pack. "My pack is presently surrounding the clearing and making ready to charge Cerberus and his followers. We are thirty strong and will be able to swiftly and decisively crush them under our paws. All I must do is give the signal."

"Well then you should probably give it. I'm not sure how much longer they'll last down there." I told him impatiently. He nodded and lifted his head to the sky in a quick, but echoing howl.

I glanced back to the clearing below and saw multiple figures running in from every direction from the woods, directly at Cerberus's wolves. Our wolves, being on the inside and facing out, saw Nava's pack first and let loose a mighty cheer when they saw their reinforcements. The enemy wolves, confused by the sudden lift of morale of the pack, turned around right as the first of Nava's pack crashed into them. They were sent into a panic, and chaos again broke loose. But this time, it was in our favor. The enemy pack quickly broke ranks and retreated in complete disorganization into the forest.

In only a few short minutes, all of the survivors from Cerberus's pack had scattered into the forest. All except two. Cerberus and his mate were still pinned down by Alaquis and Matra and the three remaining packs began to crowd around them, taunting them.

I was about to tell Aniu it was probably safe to join them but when I turned to do so, she was already running down the path from the cliff to the clearing floor. I laughed at her exuberance and bolted after her, leaving behind four confused wolves.

Ahead of me, I saw Aniu nearly tackle her father in a hug but he quickly warned her away as Cerberus was right beneath him. Aniu, not disheartened in the slightest, beamed at him then looked over to where her mother was and gave her a brilliant smile as well. Her tail was wagging nonstop in a mad side to side swish as she sat down and deemed it necessary to wait.

I caught up to her and Alaquis made eye contact with me and nodded gratefully, congratulating and thanking me on keeping Aniu out of harm's way. I was about to tell him it was nothing, when he looked behind me and I saw his eyes sparkle with pride.

I turned to see Baron and Nava walking up to us, followed closely by Creesha and Bleidd. The two wolves in front walked right up to Alaquis and as soon as Cerberus say them, he shouted in outrage. "What is this?! You called two other packs to your side!? This is treachery! One I can understand, you always were afraid of a challenge, but two is outrageous! You are a bigger coward than I realized Alaquis!" As he finished he attempted to spit in Alaquis's face, but he saw it coming and moved his head to the side so the large gob of saliva flew straight up... Then came right back down in Cerberus's own face.

He was stunned and quickly shook it off, grumbling to himself about how foolish we all were. I couldn't help the smirk that came to my face at Cerberus's embarrassment. I knew he deserved a whole lot worse than a little public humility, but it was still funny to see him get it.

When the spittle was gone from his face, Cerberus stared back up into Alaquis's face with a mischievous look. "I Cerberus, Alpha wolf, challenge you Alaquis, to a fight to the death." All of the gathered wolves gasped, even Cerberus's mate, and some began to whisper among themselves. Aniu was stunned and her ears drooped slightly but she kept her air of confidence up. I didn't know a lot about wolf politics or tradition but a "duel to the death" seemed pretty straightforward to me.

I knew Alaquis would have to accept lest his pride be damaged. The packs would lose respect for him and question his leadership, but if he did indeed accept it would give Cerberus a fighting chance at taking what he wanted after all.

I was brought back from my thoughts when Cerberus asked Alaquis, who was also deep in thought, "well, what will it be Alaquis?"

Alaquis, seeming to come to a decision, glanced back down at Cerberus's smirking face and stared at him for a moment before replying calmly, "no." All the wolves gasped for a second time and the whispers turned into murmurs.

"How can he refuse?" The wolves said. "Maybe he is a coward. A weak alpha is not a good alpha." A few of Alaquis's loyalists, myself included, growled at the speakers of such rumors but it didn't do much to quell the suspicions.

But Alaquis was not finished. in a loud but also calm and clear voice he spoke, "I will not fight you again Cerberus. Enough wolves have died today and you will likely dismiss their lives as meaningless similarly to the wolves in your "ambush." I will not see another wolf injured because of your carelessness and greed. No Cerberus, I will not fight you, I will let you live and allow your pack to instead end your days. As they now know the truth of your actions and not whatever lie you have told them. They will be responsible for your death, not I."

Alaquis backed off of Cerberus and turned to walk over to Aniu and I. He planted himself between us and a little ahead, signifying his role as Alpha and Matra did the same after a final growl at the other pack's alpha female. They both stared stonily at the two alphas as they stood up and ran into the woods with their tails between their legs. I noticed movement at the clearing's edge and looked just in time to see other wolves moving through the shadows just before they disappeared. _'Cerberus's pack must have been watching and Alaquis must have known it. That's why he let him live. He knew the pack was listening in on us.'_ Once again I was left admiring the cunning and wisdom of the old wolf that sat in front of me, and knew that the pack was lucky to have a leader like him.

When Cerberus and his mate were out of sight, a mighty howl went up from the packs gathered. The howl told of victory and conquest, but also held a mournful tone for the wolves lost that day...

 **A/N: THAT. WAS. AWESOME. I thought so at least. Again, sorry for taking so long with this one but it is also my longest chapter yet and consisted of many parts so I wanted to be sure to wrap everything up nicely. There are still things that I think I missed but whatever, you guys have waited long enough already.**

 **Hope you enjoy,**

 **Wolfbeliever42**


	29. The Birds and The Bees

**A/N: I think it's time that we start introducing Aniu's and Trajan's 'official' relationship, don't you? Or should I put it off like the last one and fake the chapter?**

 **Hhmmm, maybe...**

 **29: The Birds and The Bees**

(It's not what you think, don't get excited.)

The funeral ceremonies had just ended and as expected, no one felt like celebrating after witnessing all the death that had occurred the previous day. Seven wolves from our pack had to be buried beneath the great tree and the bodies of three more had to be carried back with the Eagle Peak pack when they departed early that morning. Alaquis had kindly offered them a place beneath our pack's tree, as they had died fighting alongside and defending the pack. But the alpha had refused and after Alaquis gave them his thanks, they disappeared without another word.

Nava's pack left a short while after. He said he would have liked to stay longer but being out of his own territory for too long would invite unwelcome visitors. So after he and his pack enjoyed a brief meal, they set out again for the long journey home.

Cerberus's pack lost several more members than us and among the dead, was the twisted body of Alva. He was on the fringes of the battle ground, so he was either one of the first to die or died while trying to escape. Either way it just proved what I knew all along: he was a deceitful, weak, lying snake.

During the ceremonies, being a beta, I had the honor of being the sixth to dig the hole and with each paw I placed within the deepening grave, I felt like a peace of me was left in it as well. The only words spoken throughout the whole proceeding were from Alaquis and Matra who gave their customary speeches about the deceased wolves. I wasn't listening to most of what was said however and instead was wondering about the she-wolf that was always right by my side. I thought about what would have happened to me if she was being laid to rest but in one of those foreboding holes and how lucky I was that she wasn't.

I found myself staring at her and when she noticed, she smiled shyly and gave me a playful nudge. That woke me from my stupor, as I nearly toppled over. I caught myself before I fell and turned to glare back at Aniu only to see a small, barely concealed, smile on her muzzle. I smiled myself and nudged her back, albeit lighter than the one she gave me.

We were brought back from our own world as the wolves began their howls for the dead. We joined somberly, but even with her voice stricken with grief, Aniu's howl was still the most wonderful and beautiful among them all.

When all of the fallen were properly laid to rest, the pack exited the hidden clearing and drearily shuffled back to the dens. Each entered their own respective cave and Aniu and I did the same, making our way to our small den in the back wall of the canyon near the Alpha den.

We settled down against each other, my head over her shoulders and her head on my forepaws. Neither of us spoke for a long time, but Aniu finally broke the silence. "The pups seemed overjoyed to see Baron again, as did Maia. They needed him back desperately and I am glad to see how mature they were when the plan was explained to them. They accepted it and realized that Baron's disappearance was necessary. I am proud of them."

"I agree." I began. "They looked so scrawny and starved, though. I'm glad that Cerberus is paying for his crimes in the same way he terrorized us. In a state of constantly not knowing when an attack might come. He will be forced to sleep with one eye open now and will never be able to truly relax." I nodded when I finished, more to confirm to myself what I had just said than Aniu, then rested my head back down behind her neck.

"Alva as well," Aniu replied. "He deserved a fate much worse than death, but at least he will not bother us anymore." Aniu's eyes were closed now and I could tell she was still exhausted after all the action from yesterday. it was nearly dark now anyway, the burials of the fallen had taken most of the day. So I closed my eyes as well, and slowly, we both drifted off into a deep slumber.

Life in the wolf pack was back into its regular swing by the next day, more or less. There was still a great absence of happiness and overwhelming joy, but smiles and slight laughs could be seen and heard throughout the den site. The source of these laughs emanating from one cave in particular.

even though they were still weak, and so was their mother, the four adolescent pups were still lifted by the return of Baron. They were determined to spend every waking hour with him and it was beginning to get in the way of Baron's daily duties.

I found the four young wolves and both their parents just outside the entrance to the canyon that morning, preparing to enter the woods. I knew that Baron was scheduled for a border patrol right about now and it seemed that he was intent on bringing his whole family with him. But as I got closer and within earshot, I learned that this wasn't the case. "...sure you won't stay behind?" Baron was asking Maia.

"No way! I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again, and I think the cubs plan on doing the same." In affirmative, all four of the pups let out a menacing growl with a piercing glare at their father.

"Ok, ok fine! Let's get going then..." Baron began to say until he caught sight of me. "Trajan! It's good to see you." He started again, walking over to me fast, then steering me towards the forest. "How are you feeling? How's Aniu? You know what, we need some time alone to catch up, follow me." And with that, he pushed me farther into the woods. Leaving behind four confused pups, and a disapproving mate.

Once we had gone a fair distance into the forest, Baron ceased his relentless shoving and heaved a large sigh of relief. "I love my family and would do anything for them, but they were starting to get a little too clingy, for my taste. Well, it wasn't all an excuse back there though. How are you feeling? You'd never guess it from your levelheadedness in the heat of the moment, but I know that this was your first glimpse at large scale blood and battle." He paused for a moment, considering. "How do you do it by the way? You seemed so calm while wolves died below you."

At first overloaded by his overflow of information, it took me a second to collect my thoughts. "Well, to answer the first question, I'm doing fine, I think. I wasn't in the thick of the fighting and didn't really participate at all so I'm good. As for the second question, I'm not really sure." I paused, trying to remember what had kept me levelheaded yesterday. "I guess, like always it seems, it was Aniu. Having her by my side just makes me feel better and knowing that I was the one protecting her, gave me a certain peace. I was confident in my own abilities in keeping Aniu safe. I focused on her and making sure she was never in danger, or putting herself in danger for that matter."

Baron seemed satisfied with my answer but gave me a pitying look that I couldn't understand. "You two really have it bad don't you?" He asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, confused. His look of pity took on an even deeper tone and he heaved a long sigh.

"It is so obvious that I figured at least you two would have noticed, being the center of it. The rest of pack figured it out a long time ago. Let's start simple, have you noticed a lack of suitors constantly surrounding Aniu these last few weeks?" I nodded, unsure where Baron was going with this but content to listen. "You remember when you first entered the pack and she was constantly being badgered by just about every male?"

I nodded again and Baron continued. "Well, Why do you think they gave up?"

I thought long and hard. 'The males in the pack had been laying off Aniu for the last few weeks.' Out loud I said, "Well Aniu and Alva had a 'relationship' for a couple of days at one point and we made it look real enough to convince the other males she was taken?"

He stared at me with a look of such confusion, I thought he didn't remember the plan he had been a part of. I was about to explain it to him but he bursted out suddenly. "No! It's you! The other wolves think that you and Aniu are mates! Great spirits you are dense. I honestly don't know how you do half the things you do with such a thick skull."

At another time, I might have been mad or offended by his remarks, but at that moment I was only stunned. _'Aniu and me, mates? The pack thought that? Why would they think that?'_ But as I thought it, I recalled all of the time Aniu and I spent together. How we were always showing affection towards each other. How we got lost in each other's eyes or embrace. How we shared a den. But most prevalent among my memories, were all the times the pups had called me _'Uncle Trajan.'_

"Even the pups saw it too, didn't they? Great, just great. That's not what's happening between us! We're just good friends, that's all! I swear." I was desperate. Never had I thought of Aniu that way. ' _Sure we're close but we definitely weren't in love... Right?'_ Baron was gazing at me with amusement now and it made me feel even more embarrassed.

"Are you sure that there is nothing between you?" He asked with a slight grin. My first reaction was to scream **'No'** but the more I thought about it the more I came to realize what was really between Aniu and I.

"I can't blame the wolves for thinking we are mates I guess, we always act like it. The only difference is that it was unofficial, and we haven't... You know... **Done** anything together." I could feel heat rushing to my face at the thought of Aniu and I... Well, I was glad that my thick fur coat hid it. Baron could see my embarrassment clearly though from my tucked tail and drooping ears, and he let out a bellow of laughter. I winced at the sudden sound and was sure the pack could hear him back at the canyon. And with what we were talking about, I didn't feel like drawing a crowd.

"Spirits! I personally hadn't really thought that far ahead! But I'm sure some of the pack have!" Baron gasped out between his great heaves of laughter. "But I'm sure the two of you will one day have beautiful pups, all of them destined for greatness." He had calmed down slightly, though he still chuckled a little, and I could tell he was sincere when he said the last piece.

"Thank you Baron." I told him, but when he smiled at me mischievously, I realized he had caught me. "No! I didn't mean that I want to have pups with Aniu! That's not what... I was only... Uggghhh! Your unbelievable!" I stuttered out. He wouldn't stop smiling his stupid grin no matter what I said and eventually I gave up.

"I should probably get back to Maia and the pups." Baron told me as he rose from his sitting position, still smiling. "I'Ve got trouble in my future if they haven't forgiven me after leaving them behind. Speaking of trouble, where's Aniu?" His grin got even wider then and I couldn't look him in the eye.

"She's resting in the den still. Yesterday's battle and today's wolf burials were exhausting for her." I told him while staring at the dirt at my feet. I still couldn't get my mind around what we had discussed. _'Aniu and me? Really? Would we really be good together?'_ But as soon as I asked myself the question, I immediately knew the answer.

Baron's voice took on a slightly more caring tone and his grin vanished for a few seconds, "Look, I can't tell you exactly what Aniu's thinking or how she feels, but I've known her almost my entire life. So I can make a pretty accurate assumption that she is as clueless as you but feels the same way inside. She loves you. As much as or even more than you love her. I'm not the smartest wolf, but I know this not with my mind, but with my heart. The two of you are destined for one another." He spared me a few more moments and I was able to look into his deep blue eyes and I could see that he meant it.

Then his stupid grin returned and I let out a groan of annoyance, fell to the ground, and buried my face in my paws. With a last chuckle he sprinted away in the direction of the canyon, and I was left alone. But underneath my paws, I was smiling too. Not a large, crazy grin like the one Baron had been wearing. But a small one, that showed my true joy at Baron's wise words...

 **A/N: See I told you it's not what you thought. Just a glimpse at it.**

 **Not sure when I'll update next but it shouldn't be as long as the wait for the 'Great Battle' chapter. (That's what I'll have the pack call it. More descriptive than 'the fight' or 'the battle')**

 **Umm... Bye? I guess.**


	30. Feelings

**A/N: Hello again my loyal readers. I would just like to take a moment to thank you. *pause* moments over. Also thanx to HoboJr once again, you rock. On to the review...**

 **So The pack has been thinned out slightly by the Great Battle, and they are for the most part still mourning. But also feeling relieved it's over. Trajan has FINALLY confronted his true feelings towards Aniu, with the help of Baron. Let's see where this takes us shall we?**

 **30: Feelings**

 **THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE THIRD PERSON.**

BACK AT THE CANYON...

Aniu woke slowly in the small den that she and Trajan shared. Her eyelids were glued shut after the long rest she had enjoyed and it took her several minutes to work them open. She blinked in the darkness surrounding her and noticed that she was alone. _'Where is Trajan'_ she asked herself.

She wanted to get up and find him but was still exhausted, even after her lengthy slumber. Suddenly she was disturbed by another being entering the cave. At first she thought it was Trajan, but it turned out to be Maia instead. She was angry and was ranting about something as she paced back and forth in the small space, but Aniu could only catch bits and pieces of it. Finally she was able to put enough of Maia's stream of words together to figure it out.

"Maia," Aniu stated calmly yet firmly. "Calm down and talk to me, What did Baron do this time?" It wasn't unusual for Maia to come and see Aniu from time to time about problems she had with her mate or pups. she used to come more often but she seemed to need advice and help less and less, and honestly, Aniu missed the get togethers they had shared. But it seemed that Maia was really upset this time and it would be a while before Aniu would be able to rest again.

Maia was still raging in the center of the den, cursing and muttering. "...who does he think he is? Wanted to go out and all we do is opt to come along, but he'd rather spend time with the mutt than with his family." Maia was snarling now with a ferocious look in her eyes, but she did recognize what she had said long enough to look over to where Aniu sat with an apologetic glint. "Uh sorry Aniu. I didn't mean to call Trajan a mutt. It's just Baron, he's unbelievable!"

Aniu, understanding the situation for the most part now, carefully walked to where Maia was standing and sat in front of her so she could have her full attention. "Alright, so from what I understand, you, Baron, and the pups were all going to go out on border patrol but instead he abandoned the five of you so he could talk to Trajan. Right?"

"Yes..." Maia replied sullenly. Her ears were drooping now and she seemed thoroughly saddened, which confused Aniu more. "We were just trying to spend time with him. After not seeing him in weeks, and fearing the worst, what do you expect? But it seems he didn't miss us nearly as much as we missed him." She was whimpering softly as she spoke and Aniu finally pieced the whole puzzle together.

"Well, then tell him." At Maia's confused glance, Aniu continued. "Tell him how much you missed him, let him know how scared you were for him. I'm sure he missed you just as much or possibly more than you missed him, but he knew what he was doing the whole way to Nava and back. He wasn't left blind and afraid like you and the pups. Tell him how you felt when he wasn't around and I'm sure he'll understand."

Maia let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and bounded forward to embrace Aniu in a lupine hug. "Thank you Aniu. When did you become so wise?"

"It's one of my many talents." Aniu said through an arrogant smile, causing Maia to roll her eyes.

"While we are on the topic, how are you and Trajan doing? You two are getting very close..." Maia asked coyly, with an amused glint in her eyes.

Aniu, as oblivious as ever, answered innocently, "we are good, I suppose. I would have liked to see him this morning but I guess he's still out with Baron." Aniu whined slightly and Maia's smile widened.

"What I mean is, will there be any little paws running around anytime soon?" Maia seemed so giddy and was leaning so far forward towards her, Aniu was afraid she'd fall on her muzzle. But she was still confused about what Maia was asking her.

"I guess if the cubs want to come over later that would be alright, but I'd like to get some more sleep before then. I'm still exhausted." Aniu replied, thinking Maia was just looking for a way to get the cubs away.

"Your hopeless!" Maia was getting frustrated with beating around the bush and figured Aniu was avoiding the question on purpose. "ARE YOU AND TRAJAN GOING TO HAVE PUPS?!" She screamed at Aniu. At first she was taken back. Never before had anyone ever yelled at her like that. She let out a growl and began to approach Maia slowly, but then the meaning of the words hit her and she sat down hard. A look of absolute confusion and shock on her face.

"Why would Trajan and I have cubs?" She asked mildly, still completely bewildered.

"Because I have never seen two beings spend so much time together or be so close to each other. You are practically mates." Maia stated matter-of-factly. Aniu thought back to all the time that she and Trajan did spend together and all the nights they had snuggled close to each other (just about every night) to keep out the chill air. She also thought about all the affection they exchanged and blushed a little. She was glad her white coat hid the coloration.

Aniu thought about what life would be like if she were to be mated to Trajan. After all, as the heir to the title of alpha, she had to pick her mate wisely. He'd have to be loyal and strong, a natural leader. He'd have to be able to take over for her and run the pack for a few weeks if she was to become a mother. He'd have to be responsible and worthy. And he'd have to love her with all his heart. But Aniu realized that every time she thought of one of the characteristics an alpha would need, an image of Trajan instantaneously sprang to mind.

She then listed the names of all the other males in the pack, and though many had the necessary traits and skills, none of them were like Trajan. She understood that Trajan was not only the best candidate, but also the one she knew would lead the pack well in the future.

Maia had waited patiently in a content silence while Aniu struggled with her thoughts and emotions. When Aniu turned to face Maia again, huge smiles were spread across both their snouts. Maia let out a bark of excitement and Aniu barked happily as well. "Ha ha! Good to see you finally made the right decision." Maia congratulated her sister.

"Indeed. It wasn't much of a decision however. Trajan is definitely the one I love and he would make a fine alpha one day." Here she paused, concern lacing her beautiful features. "But what do I tell him? How should I ask him? What do I do? Maia, you've done this before what should I say?" Aniu was frantic as she struggled to think of a good way to break the news to him.

"Well, calm down first. You're hopeless if you act frantic. Now just be yourself and I'm sure everything will be fine. As for how, I have absolutely no clue. Traditionally the male has to ask the female but with the alphas the rule bends a little. So it could go either way." Maia tried to calm her stricken sister but another thought had crossed Aniu's mind just then. One that scared her to her core and made her stomach churn.

"What if... What if he doesn't love me?" She asked timidly, afraid of the answer.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course he loves you! Maybe you don't see it and maybe even he doesn't realize it, but everyone else can, and does." Maia was starting to get frustrated by Aniu's overreactions to everything. She was supposed to be the levelheaded one.

Aniu was eased slightly by Maia's words, but a worm of doubt still rolled around in her mind. Maia was fussing with Aniu's fur trying to put it in place for the major event that was about to happen. Aniu was however lost in thought as she tried to consider all the things that could come to be, both good and bad. She didn't know what she'd do if Trajan rejected her but knew that together they could lead the pack strongly and face anything in their way.

Maia had just about put the last strands in place when they heard leaves crunch outside the cave...

 **A/N: dang flabit! I had hoped to make the first part long enough so I could leave you all with a cliffhanger but it's barely over fifteen hundred words. Oh well, next time...**

 **P.S. Going back to Trajan's POV. This was fun while it lasted but it's over now. You guys can tell me if you want to see more third person though and I'll definitely try to include it.**

I was trotting back to the den I shared with Aniu, a certain spring in my step. I was about to tell her exactly how I felt and everything about it and I was excited, but also nervous. Thoughts of doubt and rejection struggled against my overwhelming sense of joy and hope. _'What if Baron was wrong? Aniu is going to be my mate! What if she doesn't really love me? We will have beautiful puppies!'_ On and on the battle raged contained within my own mind.

I was so distracted that I didn't see Maia come racing out of the den until I nearly ran into her. She slid to a stop right in front of me, dragging me back from my thoughts and resurfacing in reality. "Ohh! Hey Maia, what are you doing here? Is Aniu alright?" My mind had instantly leapt to the worst but it instantly relaxed when she stated that she was fine. I really was on edge.

Maia moved around me and bounded past. She ran right up to Baron, who had appeared back a minute after I when he had finished his patrol. They rubbed noses and I heard them whispering but only caught bits and pieces. "..it work?" I heard Maia say.

"Yes... About you?"Baron replied and asked. Maia nodded enthusiastically and together they barreled away. Smiles dancing across their faces. I was confused by their low whispers and by how quickly they had made up after Baron had run off with me and ditched his family, but I had more important things on my mind.

I slowly entered the dim, cool den and looked around for Aniu. She was standing in the center, in a stray beam of sunlight that made her perfect white fur sparkle in the dark cave. I was so stunned and mesmerized, my jaw dropped and hung there. She giggled and sashayed towards me swinging her hips in an intoxicating way. I noticed everything about her all at once. Her glittering coat, her wonderfully shaped body, but most of all her shining eyes. they trapped me within their golden layers and I couldn't look away.

She was walking terribly slow, obviously exaggerating every movement. But as she got closer she stumbled slightly and began to fall. I leapt forward to catch her but in the end we both toppled to the ground. I laughed after I had recovered slightly, with Aniu still perched on top of me where she had fallen. She growled at me then whimpered and laid her ears back before turning her head away from me. She didn't move from my chest however and I was still pinned to the cave floor.

I couldn't understand her reaction and leaned forward to lick her cheek lightly, trying to cheer he up. She turned back to face me and I was surprised to see tears in her eyes. She quickly turned away again at my look of shock and began to sob lightly. By now I was even more puzzled and tried to get up to comfort her but she stubbornly stayed put and buried her face deeeper in my fur.

"Aniu, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" I couldn't understand it. Moments ago she had seemed ecstatic and fun when she had been walking towards me in that ensnaring way. But now she was a mess. She didn't answer and I tried again to rise but it only resulted in her climbing higher up my chest, preventing any of my hopes of getting up. "Aniu, if there's something you want to talk about, I'm always here for you. Always." I remembered suddenly the reason I had come, but pushed it to the back of my mind for now. Aniu's problems would forever be my biggest problems. I nudged her check lightly and she turned to look at me again, her eyes still moist but a little less sad than before.

Then she did something I would never have expected. She lunged forward and pressed her snout to mine in a lupine kiss. I was so shocked at first that my entire body tensed and Aniu must have felt it because she pulled back suddenly, horror in her eyes. I quickly caught myself before I plunged over the cliff Aniu had just swung me over and my muscles relaxed. I could see that Aniu was close to tears again as she continued to stare at me in horror at what she had just done. I couldn't have anymore tear stains on my fur (and other reasons too...), so I leaned up and forward and pressed my own lips to Aniu's. I felt her shock to but I held on to her and sure enough, she relaxed and pressed deeper into the kiss.

After my worry for her eased, I was able to marvel at how wonderful it felt to finally share my love with Aniu. She seemed just as eager as I as she crawled further up my chest so she could kiss me even deeper. My head was pressed back to the floor as Aniu now stood over me, leaning her head down to meet mine.

We kissed for several minutes, unaware of anything other than how we felt in each other's paws and how great it was to finally be together. We were so caught up in one another, that neither of us noticed the small crowd that had begun to gather at the entrance to the den, peering in on its occupants...

 **A/N: Awwwwww, wasn't that sweet?**


	31. Perfection

**A/N: Wow 31 chapters. Over 45,000 words by the end. All within two months. It's almost as if I have no life. He He, almost.**

 **31: Perfection**

A thousands bolts of lightning flew through my veins as Aniu and I shared our kiss. It was as if we had entered our own little world where nothing could ever go wrong and nothing bad could ever happen.

A loud "Ahem" jarred us out of our paradise and Aniu quickly backed off and away from me, looking sheepish. Still on the ground, I turned to see who had disrupted us and possibly tear his or her throat out, but I was a little shocked to see the entire pack clustered in the entrance to the den. All of them staring right at Aniu and I. Most had kind, warm, smiles that showed their happiness, but some, Maia, Baron, and their offspring in particular, were grinning madly as if they had set the whole thing up.

But, then I realized that they probably had. The argument right at the edge of the woods. The convenient timing of my arrival. My absence from the den so Maia could talk to Aniu. Aniu's little performance when I entered. And now, the crowd that had suddenly materialized. It all made sense now.

I glanced from the family to Aniu and with a look that must have showed my defeat, I told her, "We've been set up. Literally."

The pack shook with laughter and even Aniu smiled at me weakly. I sat up, unsure what to do next but Aniu seemed to know. She walked to the front of the den, drawing everyone's eyes and stated loud and clear for all to hear, "I have chosen Trajan, husky of Nome and beta of Bear Mountain Pack as my mate. I will not accept courtship from any other male from now and forever. All who disagree speak now or hold your peace." At her last words she let out a menacing growl, daring anyone to challenge her. As expected, no one did. She gave into an arrogant smile, then turned and bounded back to me.

I was impressed with her seriousness throughout her announcement and I was glad that we had finally made it official. I couldn't have stood up there like that without bursting into a broad smile and most likely giggling too. When Aniu reached me she tucked her head under my chin and rubbed against me as I rubbed back. I once again marveled at how incredibly lucky I was to have Aniu. Not just as a friend now, but as a mate and loving fiancé.

The pack cheered but it soon turned to whispers as the alpha pair made their way through the gathered wolves. I gulped. As the alphas, I knew that they had to approve of any pairs that were to be made, even if it was their own daughter. They entered the den and stood above Aniu and I. I wasn't sure what would happen if they disapproved but I was sure that I could not live without Aniu. Alaquis and Matra had expressions of seriousness across their muzzles and I didn't know if this was good or bad. It was silent for several minutes before Alaquis finally spoke. "Aniu, my daughter, as heir to the alpha you must choose your mate wisely. Do you believe that Trajan, husky of Nome and beta of Bear Mountain Pack, is right to ascend to alpha with you?"

I gulped again at the repeated use of the tittle I had made for myself. Aniu however didn't seem fazed in the slightest and replied with only one word, but it was the word that made every fiber of my body sing with joy. "Yes." She stated with her head held high.

Alaquis nodded to her, seeming to agree, but then it was my turn. Matra turned her attention to me and asked me a similar question. "Trajan, husky of Nome and beta of Bear Mountain Pack, do you believe you are worthy to ascend to the role of Alpha beside Aniu, the heir?"

The tension was so thick I could smell it. I knew that I couldn't show any weakness, but in that moment, I struggled to choke out the right word. "Yes." I finally managed. The pack cheered again and Matra and Alaquis suddenly dropped all pretense of seriousness and barked and cheered their happiness as well. It was all too much for me to take in.

I wasn't sure of the significance of what had just happened but everyone else, including Aniu, seemed to be glad for it. Aniu was so glad in fact, that she tackled me from where she had been sitting beside me and gave me another deep and passionate kiss. All the wolves howled together at this, a mighty howl that sang of the joy we all felt.

Later, when every single wolf in the pack had come up and congratulated us, The brief celebration ended. The pack began to disperse back to their own respective dens and caves for the night. I hadn't realized how late it had gotten until I stepped out of the den to get a breath of fresh air.

The sun nearly touched the western horizon as it slowly descended and I was caught in the beauty of the moment. I had a perfect mate-to-be, I lived freely and wildly among wolves, and I had the opportunity to enjoy moments such as these, to be able to stop and admire the beauty of the natural world.

I sighed a breath of pure happiness at just being alive. I sat there until the sun had completely disappeared behind the distant trees and mountains and the moon and stars shinned brightly from above. I stood and turned to return to the den, but as I brought my eyes level I stopped in my tracks. There at the entrance stood Aniu, and if I had thought she looked beautiful in the sunlight, she absolutely glimmered under the moon. The silvery light caught her dazzling fur perfectly and she practically glowed. I found myself staring with my jaw hanging slack and I had to force it closed with a loud smack, causing Aniu to laugh. She walked over to me again in the same mesmerizing way that she had earlier that day, and my eyes stayed glued to her. She sat in front of me and smiled seductively. I wasn't sure what she wanted from me or why she was doing what she was doing, but I knew that if she kept this up, she would get whatever she wanted no matter what.

But instead she shivered and moved closer to me so she could bury her face in the scruff of my neck. I shuffled forwards as well and rested my head on the back of her neck, taking in her scent and once again thinking about how incredibly lucky I was.

I woke in the den the next morning happier than I had ever felt before. I sat up and glanced down at the perfect figure next to me that was slowly waking as well. She blinked up at me with her perfect eyes and smiled her perfect smile. What could I say, she was perfect.

I leaned down and licked her perfect nose gently and she pulled back, surprised. Then she sneezed. I had never heard Aniu sneeze before and as far as sneezes go, I thought it was the most amazing sneeze ever. Maybe even, perfect. No, it was definitely perfect. I laughed at my thoughts and just for the sake of it, but Aniu whined slightly.

I looked down to see her curled up and facing away from me with her perfect ears pressed flat against her perfect head. I half stepped over her to see her perfect face and when she saw me smiling down at her she curled up tighter. I leaned down again and she quickly hid her nose in her perfect tail but that wasn't my target. I used my tongue to track a large smear of drool across her perfect cheek and she yelped in surprise, jumping up and causing me to fall on top of her.

I laughed again and she whimpered even more. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. _'Why wasn't she as happy as I am?'_ I thought. Instead I rolled off of her so I could face her and asked, "Aniu, what's wrong? You've been acting different ever since yesterday. Not that you're any less perfect but something has been bothering you. What is it?" I added a nuzzle to her ear.

She straightened from her curled up position and mumbled to me, "you've laughed at me twice now and I don't understand why. You're pointing out every flaw I make with your laughter. Why? I thought you loved me." Aniu balled herself back up and sniffled slightly. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Aniu thought I was making fun of her! I needed a way to show her that I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever do anything to make her feel bad. I moved closer to her and nudged her head until she met my piercing eyes with her own tearful ones.

I made sure to hold eye contact with her for a moment before I forcefully pressed my mouth to her perfect lips in an effort to show my true and deep adoration of her. She stiffened at first but soon relaxed and kissed me back. I broke the kiss moments later, panting and out of breath, and rested my forehead on hers so our noses touched as well. I stared into her eyes and she stared into mine and I whispered softly to her, "Aniu, there is nothing I wouldn't do for you, no matter the cost. I would also never, ever intentionally make you feel bad and I'm sorry if that's what I've been doing." I kept myself pressed against her perfect forehead as I waited for her reply.

I didn't have to wait long as she pulled away from me only to immediately initiate another passionate kiss. This time she broke it and told me, "I know, and I would do anything for you. I was being foolish to think you were... How do you say it? 'Making fun of me.'"

I laughed again and this time Aniu laughed too and as we enjoyed our shared amusement, I couldn't help thinking how perfect her laugh sounded...

 **A/N: A PERFECT chapter if I do say so myself, what do you think? Sure it's shorter than normal but I thought that it needed to be done so I here it is. No need to thank me, your views and continued support are all I need. And ice cream. If you have any ice cream I'll take that too, it's my favorite.**


	32. Dreams

**A/N: ok, so a weird last chapter but finals were like the next week so, I was a little stressed but that's ok because the year is over now and I'm free(ish) and I'm glad to be done with all of it. Huuuffffff, thank you for letting me vent.**

 **Also, sorry for such a long waiting period but I can't put this off any longer because I started a challenge between Omnitrix12 and I. You should read his "prequel" to the Balto movies, White Legend, it was the inspiration for my story, and it's pretty good (but not as good as mine *cough cough*).**

 **On to the chapter now...**

 **32: Dreams**

The ritual that was to bind Aniu and I together forever was set to happen at the next full moon, which was still two weeks away. Already I was nervous and excited at the same time and was constantly afraid I'd lose my last meal. Aniu and I spent even more time together than before. I know, I didn't think it was possible either but somehow we managed it.

The entire pack seemed to be in a constant state of celebration and it was starting to become a little overwhelming. It had been a whole week since Aniu and I had confessed our love for each other, and I couldn't seem to find a second to think. Of course I enjoyed the constant attention from Aniu and the feelings of acceptance from the pack, but something kept nagging at the back of my mind. Like an old memory that was fighting to resurface.

It kept me from focusing at all the wrong times, like out on a hunt. The other wolves didn't blame me much though, when I accidentally snapped a twig or tripped on a root and sent our meal running. They put it down to nervousness about my own mating ceremony and would laugh it off and set out in pursuit of more prey. I wasn't so sure though.

The big day was drawing nearer and nearer and with its approach, the worrying feeling in my mind only grew. I knew it had nothing to do with my apprehension about becoming mates with Aniu, That was more in my stomach. But this feeling in my mind was impossible to ignore.

One night, ten days from my marriage to Aniu, the answer came to me in a dream...

 _I was back at the beginning of the winter on the night that changed my life. I was leading my team through the blinding snow and ice that came crashing down from the sky. We were approaching the spot where we were destined to crash and I tried to stop and shout a warning to my team as that fateful part of the trail came into view. I could see now the branch that was to fall and stop us, the heavy snow that weighed it down and the sweeping wind that blew it to its breaking point._

 _I ordered my legs and feet to stop running but I wasn't in control of my own body. I watched through my own eyes as a stranger's body led us beneath the tree and under the branch just as it snapped and came crashing down on._

 _The harnesses pulled and choked us as we caught on the heavy branch and I looked back in time to see my musher and old friend get thrown towards the snow bank that he had landed on last time. But this time it was much worse. As he flew through the air, I saw his face beneath his mop of dark hair and fur cap. But it wasn't the face of my musher, not his face when it happened at least. His face was completely blue and eaten away. I could see bone through his skin and his skull stared back at me as I watched in horror as he collided with the hidden rock and crumpled to the ground._

 _I glanced back at my team only to find a sight even more terrifying. They, like my human, were in a late stage of decomposing. They stared at me through the torn and bloody skin and fur on their faces, most missing eyes and instead seeing through empty sockets. But worst of all was seeing my best friend, Maverick. He was tied right behind me and his golden coat was torn and hung off his skeletal frame. He still had both his eyes but I wished he hadn't because they glared at me accusingly, expressing all the pain and betrayal he must have felt when he died. But this time I had seen the branch but couldn't stop in time. This time, it was my fault and now my team and musher were dead and rotting corpses._

 _I wanted to curl up into a ball and die with them. Let the birds peck out my eyes, the bears eat my flesh. I deserved such a fate after what I had done to my family, my friends. They were gone because of me. But I stayed rooted where I was, unable to move or look away from the piercing glares of my old friends._

 _I didn't know how long it was before Maverick began speaking to me. His voice was his own but his tone was that of malice and hate and I couldn't stand hearing such an exuberant dog speak so dismally._

 _He told me, "Trajan, you have forgotten us and where you come from. You have forgotten your home and your first family. You have forgotten your friends and neighbors and origin. You have forgotten yourself and so, forgotten everything. You will have no peace until you remember what you have lost. You have a new home, a new family, and a new life. But you must remember your past, and learn the truth."_

 _All the dogs began to chant Maverick's last words, getting louder and louder, "Remember the past, learn the truth. Remember the past, learn the truth! REMEMBER THE PAST LEARN THE TRUTH!"_

 _As the dream began to fade into darkness Maverick's voice rang out again, with only a single word. "WAKE!"_

I bolted upright from the bed of pine needles and leaves and looked around, breathing heavily, only to see the first rays of sunlight outside the cave and the anxious face of Aniu, glancing at me, concerned. "What is it, my love?" She asked me, her voice laced with worry. But I didn't answer. I had other things on my mind. I couldn't forget my dream like I usually could and I had a feeling that I never would. I remembered every piece of it and Maverick's words about how I would never find peace until I remember my past but I didn't understand it. I could recall everything important about my past: my lost siblings, my poor mother, my first run on a team, my acceptance into the race team, and the horrible accident.

But I realized that the details of these memories were indeed fuzzy. What was my mother's name? How old was I when I was first on a team? I couldn't remember, and with a shock, I concluded that Maverick was right. Or at least whatever that thing in my dream was.

Aniu was still confused as to why I had sprung up like I had, l could see it on her face when I finally looked at her, and I quickly recounted everything in my dream to her. Her face remained blank while she listened and when I finished her eyes continued staring straight ahead for several minutes. I watched her silently, waiting for some kind of reaction. Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut and I saw a single tear form.

I waited longer, unsure as to why she was crying but willing to wait for her to explain. Her eyes stayed closed for another few minutes, allowing the tear to trace it's way down her beautiful face and drop to the cave floor. At last she opened her eyes and I saw a new strength in them but also a hidden sadness. "Do what you must." She told me. Her voice was strong, but I could tell that she was forcing down her despair and I couldn't figure out the reason for her feelings. "But promise not to forget us here, Your new family. Your new mate." At this her voice quivered slightly and from the tone of her voice it sounded like she was saying goodbye. "Go and find what you have lost. Remember what you have forgotten, and learn the truth that you spoke of. But do not forget us here." And finally, in a barely audible whisper, "Do not forget...me." She collapsed to the ground in sobs and I was taken back.

Finally the realization dawned on me. I knew that I had to go back to Nome and figure out whatever this thing is. But she expected me to stay there, which was not going to happen even if they kenneled me. And she expected me to go alone. Big N-O on that one too.

I lied down next to her and waited for her to stop crying so I could explain to her. After about ten more minutes of unrelenting sobs, she finally looked up and seemed surprised that I hadn't left her yet. Her shock quickly turned to hurt and anger however, when she said, "what are you still doing here? Go, run off on your little home finding adventure! Leave me be."

She tried to tuck her head back into her side to continue her hopeless sobbing but I wasn't going to stand for it. I stuck my head into her side where she had planned to put hers and she yelped in surprise. But she quickly got angry again and bit my ear hard, forcing a yelp of pain out of me. But I remained where I was until she stood up so she could move away from me.

This is what I'd been waiting for and as soon as she stood, I leapt on top of her and tackled her to the floor. I laughed while she struggled futilely beneath me, but she eventually gave up and started weeping quietly. I realized that I may have gone too far as I hadn't even explained my intentions yet, and backed off of her.

I crept forward to where she now rested on her side and curled around her. She leaned back into me and closed her eyes, but was still crying.

I took a deep breath and began to speak soothingly into her ear. "Darling, you and I both know that I must go back to Nome to sort whatever this is out. The journey will be long and cold and dangerous and I might not make it..." Aniu began to cry louder at this and I let a soft, smile crease my face as I added a final word, "alone."

Immediately her head lifted and her ears perked up. Her head swiveled around and our eyes met, hers filled with hope and mine confirming that hope. She bugled her joy and jumped to her feet only to pounce back on top of me. I barked and laughed at her excitement but neither of us stayed happy for long, as we both new that a difficult journey lay ahead of us...

 **A/N: *high-pitched singing voices* this is going to get EXCITIIIINNNNNG! Just wait and see what I have in store for Aniu and Trajan. Wow, just thinking about it gives me shivers.**


	33. Permission

**A/N: Well, I'm at about 48,500 words so far but Omnitrix decided to take advantage of my 'off-period' and boost his lead. I guess I just won't sleep for the next few days. No biggie...**

 **33: Permission**

Aniu and I weren't too excited when we realized that our ceremony would have to wait until after we got back but we also knew that this journey was of the utmost importance. Aniu kept referring to my dream as a message from the spirits. I figured it was just my mind telling me that I had forgotten something important and I should probably remember it. But Aniu was convinced, so I didn't argue.

We were about ready to bound out of the den and start on our way, it's not like we had anything to pack like humans did. We could hunt for food, drink from streams or rivers, find shelter whenever we needed it, and had thick fur coats built in. Sometimes I wondered if humans were ever jealous of all the natural gifts that dogs and wolves received. But then I just tell myself I'm crazy and forget it.

While I was thinking, Aniu had been staring at me and waiting by the entrance to leave. I resurfaced in reality and gave her a warm smile then proceeded to her side. She watched me as I approached, a determined gleam in her eye. I knew that little could stop her from succeeding in our mission of truth and remembrance, and even less or nothing could stop her from returning back home to her family.

My smile broadened and she couldn't help but let a grin twitch her lips slightly. But then she looked away, seeming embarrassed and said sternly, "let us be off." And marched out of the cave without looking back.

I followed her out, into the mid-morning sunlight and we turned to make our way out of the canyon. We hadn't gotten far before I was pushed to the ground from the side and landed on Aniu. I looked up to see the grinning faces of Remus, Lupin, and Balt as they smirked from their newfound perch.

Aniu groaned from beneath me and surged upwards. I rose as well and with our combined strength, The three young wolves were thrown off. As Aniu and I got our feet back underneath us, the boys were sent rolling in the dirt towards a fourth young wolf, who watched indifferently.

Upon landing in front of her, Lexi let out her signature, "Uck, Boys." But the trouble-making trio wasn't paying any attention to her and were instead bounding back towards Aniu and I. They skidded to a stop directly in front of us and looked as if they were about to say something, but I beat them to it.

"What are you doing?! Jumping on me like that, I'm older than I look!" I was furious. Aniu and I had important stuff to do but all they cared about was rolling and playing and such. The three looked thoroughly chastised with their ears pressed against their skulls and tails between their legs.

"Uh, sorry Uncle Trajan. We were just messing around." Explained Lupin. I looked down at their guilty faces and I couldn't help the spark of affection that burned in my heart. I let my angry facade fall, smiled gently at them, and released a loud sigh.

Remus, Lupin, and Balt looked back up at me then and when they saw my expression, smiles of their own spread across their muzzles. They barked happily a few times then pranced back the way they came and circled Lexi a few times before frolicking away.

By my side, Aniu chuckled and my gaze drifted to her only to see a similar grin on her face too. "You sure told them. I was worried you'd bite their tails off." I got the feeling that she was somehow mocking me, but I couldn't put a paw on it, so I let it go without comment.

I was about tot continue out of the canyon when Aniu stopped suddenly, a grievous expression on her face. when I asked her what was wrong she said, "I almost forgot but the cubs reminded me. We need permission from my parents before we can go. Unless we want A hunting party on our tails. It's not going to be easy to get their approval."

She seemed to age a few seasons in that very moment and I didn't know how to comfort her. Instead I said noting as we turned back around to make our way up to the Alpha Den...

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Alaquis boomed with his powerful voice, making the cave shake and my ears ring. Aniu and I had just finished explaining our plan to him and as we got further and further in, his expression only seemed to get more and more annoyed. "Especially not a mere week before your mating ceremony. The answer is NO." Alaquis seemed quite firm in his opinion and I knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince him otherwise. But then again, what part of my life has ever been easy?

"I don't know what makes you think that this is a good idea," Matra began. "Complete foolishness, the whole idea. The moment a human spotted you, Aniu, he'd kill you on the spot. And Trajan, how do you expect to get back here as you say you plan to? The nearest human dens are hundreds of miles away. You'd be lucky to get there alive, let alone make it back. And what if one of you somehow got injured or sick? What would you do then? I'm only half sorry when I say that I must agree with Alaquis, because I believe I am saving your lives."

Matra had a convincing argument I had to give her that. I couldn't find a way around her points and I saw that Aniu was similarly trapped by her frustrated expression. But what surprised me was the fact that she still had that determined glint in her beautiful eyes. It looked as if she was determined to go out there, make it to Nome, fix the problem, and make it back, if only to prove her parents wrong. I'd never seen this rebellious side of Aniu and I was concerned.

Then she surprised me again when she gave up all her frustration and anger and put on a defeated expression. Then in a disappointed voice, spoken through clenched teeth, she said, "fine." Then turned to leave.

I quickly followed her to see if I could find what had caused her sudden yield, and to escape the superior glares that the Alphas were directing at us. Once we were out of the cave Aniu picked up her pace and trotted down to the canyon floor then sharply turned and entered our own den. I scrambled to keep up. The sun was about halfway between its peak and the western horizon when we had exited the Alpha Den and I guessed that we had only a few more hours before nightfall.

Once inside the smaller cave, Aniu dropped her pretense of defeat and instead took one poise of excitement. The determined gleam was again in her eyes and I was shocked once again. To me she said "alright, since diplomacy didn't work, we are going to have to sneak out. We should wait until night comes and then-"

"Aniu." I interrupted, cutting off whatever she was about to say. "I can't ask you to do this. it's dangerous enough as it is and to have to sneak out will only make it worse. Say we succeed on this quest and make it back. Neither of us will be greeted with open paws if we defy the Alphas. And maybe they are right anyway. I would rather be plagued by endless nightmares and bad luck than place you in danger." I was torn inside, no matter how smoothly I had delivered my speech. I felt as if I needed to go to Nome or something really bad would happen but I also didn't want to leave the pack with a risk of never being able to return.

Aniu studied me hard and continued to for several minutes before she once again conceded, to my seemingly undying surprise. "Fine," she repeated. "But don't get any ideas about sneaking out or anything while my back is turned. I will hunt you down."

She turned her back on me and padded over to the bed we shared. she delicately laid herself down, even though the sun wasn't to set for a long time. I turned away as well and stared out into the retreating sunlight with what could only be described as pain written across my face. Aniu had told me not to sneak out and run away, but that was exactly what I planned to do...

 **A/N: Well, Trajan is going to try his luck in the wilderness alone and try to make his way to his hometown of Nome to remember what he has forgotten and discover a truth he hadn't known.**

 **This is going to be good...**

 **P.S. This isn't even how I had planned to do this chapter but it kind of just happened this way. Oh well.**


	34. Breakout

**A/N: alright big breakout chapter, here it comes. What's going to happen? Who knows? Truth be told I don't even know at the moment that I'm writing this but let's go for it anyway.**

 **I do know that this will be a two part chapter though. Just a heads up.**

 **33: Breakout**

 **Trajan:**

My plan was to wait until two hours after midnight in order to escape. That way, the entire pack would most likely be asleep by then and I wouldn't have to explain to anyone what I was doing up so late. I also had to sleep a little bit aways from Aniu, instead of right up next to her like normal, so I wouldn't wake her when I got up. She didn't seem to notice my distance when we both bedded down for the night, but I guess it was understandable after our futile attempt to convince the Alpha's of our plan.

As the night wore on I began to grow more and more impatient and anxious to get this over with. I wanted to go to Nome, figure out the mess I was in, then book it back here, get married, and live happily ever after and so on...

I doubted it would be that simple or easy but I knew I had to go to Nome but I also didn't want to leave the pack, or more importantly, Aniu. _'Whatever is in Nome had better be worth all this'_ I thought to myself.

As my patience grew thinner and thinner, I decided to distract myself by admiring Aniu openly and without discretion that might have been a little ruder in front of others or if she'd known. My eyes traced the smooth fur of her back, (she was lying on her side with her back to me) and I caught a slight flick in her ear as she dreamed. I allowed myself to absorb every detail of Aniu's beautiful shape as I stared at her, so I could commit it to memory and look back on it whenever I might need to.

The time to leave almost slipped by me without notice because I was so caught up in admiring Aniu. I spared myself a glance outside and noticed the moon had passed its zenith by a large margin and I realized that I should probably be off. I stood silently and cautiously began to pad around Aniu's sleeping form to the entrance of the den. My ears were straining for the slightest sound that might signal her waking. I had made it all the way to the opening and was about to sigh a breath of relief, when my front paw came down and crunched a single dead leaf that had been hidden in a shadow.

I froze waiting to see if Aniu had heard but she gave no indication of such so I continued through the exit and out into the night. I released my held breath and began to trot at a slightly faster pace towards the canyon front. My plan from there was to make a wide arc back to the trail that Aniu had found me on in order to confuse any pursuers as to where I was really heading. From there, I could easily follow the path all the way to Nome.

From what I remembered from my sled dog days, we had been about halfway between Nome and White Mountain when we crashed so Nome was only a little over a hundred miles away. A trip like that would have taken a sled team a week to complete, but now I was alone and didn't have to pull a sled. And I had training from wolves which was more trying than anything I ever had to do as on a team. Now I was faster and stronger, and could probably cover the distance in half the time.

All these thoughts raced through my head as I made my way out of the canyon, and into the foreboding forest ahead...

 **Aniu:**

I had lied there awake, barely moving, barely breathing, for several hours just waiting for the sound of that leaf to snap. When it finally did I was overtaken by a torrent of conflicting emotions. _'Trajan doesn't want me along. He's leaving me.'_ One side argued. _'He saw me place the leaf there and stepped on it on purpose so I would know to follow him!'_ The other side countered.

Either way, I knew Trajan would try something like this and whether he liked it or not, I was going to come along. I knew he wouldn't have been put out by the failed debate with my parents just the same way I knew we would never convince them in the first place and had quickly given up. But that didn't mean I wasn't determined to go with Trajan anyway.

I didn't move until several moments after the leaf crackled so I could be sure that Trajan was really gone. Then I leapt to my paws and, quietly, raced out of the den and to the canyon entrance. It only took me a moment to find Trajan's scent, but it led of in a different direction than the trail that I figured he would take. _'Maybe he knows a different way to Nome'_ I thought as I began to pursue him through the pines.

Before I had taken more than a few steps into the forest though, I got the strangest feeling in my stomach and turned to gaze back into the canyon that had raised me since birth. There lay behind me my childhood home and my entire world, and in front, the unknown and untold danger. I took in every detail of the canyon and fixed it in my memory. Because for some reason, I felt like that would be the last time I ever saw it.

I shook of the sick feeling in my gut and chased after Trajan's scent. But soon I noticed that the scent was beginning to curve slightly back in the direction of the trail. It was the tiniest of adjustments and anyone who hadn't been paying the closest attention might have missed it, but I noticed. Trajan's scent had been stronger when he first entered the forest but now it was waning and I realized he must be picking up speed as he went. That way he would lead any one following him in the wrong direction to begin, then would be able to curve back to the trail with any pursuers thinking they still had his scent as they charged past it.

I almost laughed at how careful and clever he was being. _'That's my Trajan'_ I thought. I swiftly gathered my bearings and then set off in the direction of the trail, knowing that I would either arrive at the same time as Trajan or even slightly before. _'What a sight that would be for him. He went to all this trouble trying to avoid detection only to find me waiting for him when he comes out of the brush.'_ I could hardly wait...

 **A/N: ...no words...**


	35. Setting Off

**A/N: ok so big moment last chapter for Aniu. Will it be the last time she ever sees her home again? She is kind of spiritually connected so maybe she just knows these things. Only time will tell...**

 **Review: so Trajan and Aniu are set to be wed but Trajan must visit Nome again if he is to ever have peace in his life. He would have liked to leave with the pack's blessing and with Aniu, but that didn't work so he had to sneak out. I think that pretty much sums it up. On to the chapter!**

 **35: Setting Off**

 **Trajan:**

I had thought the plan through so well. I had taken into account every single detail: the chance that someone would end up following me out of the canyon, in case they tried to follow my scent, if they figured I would head for the trail but caught my scent going in a different direction. All of this I had planned for and I was quite proud of myself for coming up with such a perfect plan.

So when I barreled out onto the trail with a smile of victory across my face, I nearly yelped when I saw Aniu sitting there watching the stars and appearing to be waiting for me. At first, I thought she was merely a figment of my imagination. A mirage created by my guilt at leaving her behind and the foreboding loneliness that was sure to accompany me on my journey.

But when she turned to look at me with those penetrating eyes, I knew my mind could never quite capture everything that was in them and my heart sank and took off at the same time. It sank because I was sure she wouldn't be too happy I had left without her and if she came she would be in enormous amounts of danger. But it took off because as much as I didn't want her to share my harm, I was glad to be with her and the loneliness of the journey was probably what threatened me the most.

I had been staring at her for several minutes I guess because she finally asked, and with a completely straight face, "are we going to leave, or just stare at each other with ridiculous looks on our faces until the sun comes up and we are caught?"

Without waiting for my reply, she stood and made her way by me down the trail. I was about to fall into step beside her when I stopped and started chuckling. Aniu turned to me, still straight faced and asked, "and what, may I inquire, is so insidiously humorous?"

I put on my own blank expression and in a humorless voice replied, "well, Nome is that way." I indicated with a raised paw the other direction that the narrow trail took. Aniu only sniffed, lifted her nose up, and trotted past me indignantly making sure to avoid eye contact.

I let out a last guffaw of laughter and fell in beside her. We kept an easy pace, faster than a walk but slower than a jog. Neither of us had slept yet that night so we weren't in a rush to tire ourselves out just yet. We walked on through the night only stopping for a drink of water or to relieve ourselves with only the stars and each other for company. I felt like I should be at peace with my current situation. After all, I had the love of my life by my side and no immediate worries on my mind. But something kept me from relaxing. I felt like some 'presence' was always breathing through the fur on my neck and making my skin prickle. I felt tense and ready for an attack, even though we were in the middle of nowhere and it was the dead of night.

But I couldn't rid myself of the feeling and nor could I ignore it. I tried not to let Aniu see my unease but with just a single glance I knew she could tell something was bothering me. But we both new that the only thing that could fix it would be to arrive at Nome and do whatever needed to be done so we could hightail it back to our pack and feel at home once again.

When the first hint of the sun appeared on the eastern horizon, Aniu and I halted our weary legs and began to search for a den of some sort where we could rest for. Few hours before continuing our long trek. Eventually after a while of searching, Aniu found us a small cozy burrow beneath the roots of a massive oak tree that would be just big enough for the two of us to squeeze in.

We settled down, grateful for the chance to rest and just before I fell asleep I whispered to Aniu, "have I ever told you how much I love you?"

I felt her shuffle against me and could hear the smile in her voice as she said, "yes, but I never get tired of hearing you say it." and with those words dancing through my mind, I fell asleep.

I dreamed I was flying with the clouds with a rolling sea of pine needles beneath me. There was nothing around me but clean, fresh air, the endless blue sky, and a small flock of geese flying in their classic V formation just a few meters in front and below me. I willed myself to go faster and I flew through their organized ranks, sending them honking in every direction. I let out a laugh of pure joy and began doing loops and twirls through the air with ever increasing complexity. I spun and spiraled, I flipped and dived. Nothing could compare with my euphoric feelings in those moments.

This was one of my favorite dreams. I was free to soar above everyone and everything and go where I wished whenever I wanted. There was nothing quite like the experience of flying for me. I always knew that it was highly unlikely, impossible even, that I would ever be able to actually fly, but I still enjoyed my visions and dreamed that one day the opportunity might present itself. I didn't know how it would come to be, but I felt certain I would someday fly free...

 **A/N: ...**


	36. Nome: Part the First

**A/N: Oh my gosh, how long has it been since I updated last? Too long, the answer I was looking for was too long. Well I could give you several excuse (I'm good at coming up with those, if you ever need one for anything, you know who to call, "Ghostbusters!") Ok sorry, I'm just really excited right now for som reason! Well let's get this story going before I procrastinate any more by writing a super long author's note like the one I'm writing right now in this very moment at this exact time in the never ending... Well you get the point... I hope. You do get the point, right? Because there is a point and I know it, but do you? Well if you don't know, the point of that was to procrastinate even more. But no more procrastination! Let's do it... After these short messages. Ha ha! I kid, I kid. Alright let's go...**

 **PS: Trajan's POV. Ok that's all...**

 **36: Nome: Part the First**

Four days we spent on the trail. Four days we ran a never ending jog from dusk until dawn, running all night and sleeping through the day. It probably would have been easier to travel in the daylight and rest when the sun set, but Aniu and I agreed that the new plan would minimize our chances of running into any other travelers on the trail, whether they be another animal, or something much worse-a human or sled team. So we forged onward.

But as we got closer and closer to Nome, the itch in my mind seemed to get more and more irritating until it felt like my skull was buzzing. My condition made me all the more irritable and though I tried to keep my temper even during the few times Aniu and I spoke, I found it increasingly difficult. I knew that Aniu could tell that I wasn't at ease, try as I might to hide it, and though she expressed her worry for me several times over, there was nothing that she nor I could do about it until we reached Nome.

I had another reason for my uneasiness too though. I had no idea how I was going to keep Aniu safe in or around Nome while I tried to figure out what needed to be done. I knew she could take care of herself if a fight somehow broke out (she had proven that on numerous occasions when settling disputes between pack members) but if she was discovered then the local dogs and humans would surely run her out of town or even shoot and kill her. I knew that I couldn't let that happen no matter what.

I turned the problem over in my mind for the whole journey, trying to analyze it from every angle to see if there was a solution hidden somewhere. _'Her scent will be the hardest to hide.'_ I thought. _'I could easily find an empty old shack or hidden alley in Nome if all I had to worry about were the humans, but the dogs would sniff her out in the first day! I have to find somewhere far enough outside of Nome that her scent won't be strong enough to notice, but close enough so I could make sure nothing happened to her and within easy walking distance.'_ But no matter which way I looked at the puzzle, I just couldn't fit the pieces together.

My answer finally came when we were about six kilometers from Nome on the morning of the fourth day - because I knew we were so close to Nome, I had suggested that we keep going instead of resting and Aniu had agreed - and the tree line halted abruptly. We stood there for a few minutes taking in the sight of the small town that sat right in the middle of nowhere. The land surrounding Nome was all flat with a semicircle of trees forming the edges, roughly six kilometers away from the town to the north, south, and east. To the west was the endless expanse of the ocean. Frozen solid near the shore, but a ways out, one could see the gentle waves splash against the ice in a steady rhythm. But about two to three kilometers to the south of the town, there were a number of old, decrepit boats that were abandoned by their owners to the elements.

Only then did I remember the ships, and I berated myself for not thinking of them sooner. I was thankful for the solution because the only one that I had thought of up to that point was to have Aniu hide in the trees far from Nome, but that held the risk of me not being able to check on her quickly, and if she had been left out in the forest she would have left paw prints that any amateur hunter would have been able to track and she could be killed without me even knowing.

But if she was in one of the old boats, not only would she have shelter, she wouldn't leave prints unless she went strolling about and no hunters would even think to look so close to their town for prey anyway. It was perfect.

I pointed the beached ships out to Aniu and told her my plan and she approved immediately, if not enthusiastically. I realized that she must have been considering much of the same things I had and trying to come up with a solution for our problem too.

After sweeping our eyes over the large, open expanse between the trees and Nome for anyone who might spot us and scenting the air for any sign of danger, we stealthily darted between the large banks of snow towards the old boats. When we were about a hundred or so meters from one that still seemed mostly intact and even had a narrow wooden board set against it to allow those on the ground access to the deck, Aniu stopped behind a large snow mound while I continued alone to check for humans or other dogs.

The old board creaked as I walked up it and I flinched at the noise, my nerves on end. I waited several minutes to see if anything would happen, but when nothing did I forced myself to ease slightly then continue to the deck, the board shrieking in protest.

As soon as I jumped the gunwale and landed on the upper deck, I sniffed around trying to determine the last time any threat had been on the boat. I explored every nook and cranny all over the ship from the stern, to the cabin, to the bow. I even went belowdeck to check what might be hiding in the hold but all I found were some wooden crates and an old blanket.

Finally, when I was satisfied that the only things to smell was the tar that lathered the ropes and the sweet scent of rotting wood, I finally let some of the worry drain out of me and relaxed my tense muscles. I trotted back to the side of the ship and signaled to Aniu that it was safe then turned back and entered to hold to drag the blanket backup and placed it in the captains cabin for Aniu.

As she neared to ship she took a sniff at it herself then cautiously climbed the plank to the top where she hopped down to the deck. She began sniffing around for herself and once she was satisfied with the boat, she came over to me, gave me a thankful lick to the snout then trotted back to the cabin and nosed her way under the blanket. She let out a loud yawn and I realized how tired I was too. I padded into the cabin after her and snuggled under the blanket next to her. She placed her head over my neck, let out another yawn then immediately fell asleep. I smiled as my eyes slowly drifted shut, the buzz in my head seemed to have abated slightly and my smile grew even more as I drifted off into the land of dreams...

 **A/N: Hey funny seeing you guys here, at the end of the chapter that I just wrote for the viewing pleasure of the public. I swear I run into people at the weirdest places, huh, oh well...**


	37. Close Call

**A/N: Ok so it's been brought to my attention that other writers (including my ol' pal Omnitrix 12) have been leaving quotes and such in the beginnings of their chapters that correlate with that chapter. I have decided to do something similar but also very different.**

 **In the beginnings of my chapters, in the author's note, I will ask a riddle of my readers. I will then post the answer to the riddle in the next chapter I write and the cycle will continue. I encourage those who solve the riddle to private message me the answer and I will tell you if you are correct or not. If you are correct, I will recognize the first few people in the next chapter.**

 **Good luck and please no cheating.**

 **Riddle:**

 **"What is always at the end of Everything?"**

 **37: Close Call**

It was the barking that woke me. At first I was reluctant to open my eyes as the sound of dogs was not uncommon in Nome. After all, the best and fastest way to get around was with a dog sled. But for some reason the dogs seemed to get louder, as if they were getting closer. _'That's strange.'_ I thought to myself. _'I don't remember any trails that run by these boats from Nome.'_ But then something shifted beside me and growled slightly and I remembered something else about Nome. Wolves weren't allowed anywhere near it. Not alive at least.

I jumped to my feet and woke Aniu with a nudge. When she was awake as well, I told her to stay down and to not make a sound. She dropped to the deck against the back wall of the wheel house and when she looked back at me, I could see fear in her golden eyes.

I turned away from her before she could see the fear in my own, and bounded out onto the deck to analyze the situation. I braced my forepaws against the gunwale of the eastern side of the boat which also happened to be the starboard side as the ship pointed north. I looked out across the empty land between us and the forest but couldn't see anything to the south or east. I ran to the bow, past the wheel house where Aniu was hiding, and leapt onto an old crate that was sitting in the prow of the ship and gazed out towards Nome, searching for any sign of the source of the loud clamor. I didn't have to look long, as a team of dogs with a sled and musher in tow were making their way straight towards our boat. And by now they were already less than half a kilometer away. I had maybe a minute to either find a way to defend the ship or have Aniu make a dash for the trees while I held them off.

But there was no way I could come up with a plan that quickly that would have even the slightest chance of succeeding. My only thought was, _'they've found us and now Aniu and I must pay for my carelessness. I should have known better than to stay so close to Nome.'_ No doubt the dogs had caught Aniu's scent and were out to hunt her down.

They were closing in at full speed and I couldn't decide on a course of action. I knew that I had to keep myself out of sight so I crouched against the deck so only my eyes and the top of my head were visible over the horizon. If we ran then we would undoubtedly be spotted and neither of us would ever get anywhere near Nome again, Which didn't solve my whole "Find The Truth In Nome!" problem. But if we stayed to fight, we might win as the narrow plank was the only way onto the deck from the ground and the dogs wouldn't be able to swarm us all at once if we kept them bottlenecked. But if we managed to kill, or injure and capture enough of the dogs, the others might stay and fight but they might run back to Nome to alert the other dogs and humans. Then there was also the musher to consider. It didn't look like he had one of the humans' guns on him, but it was hard to be sure.

The dogs were only two hundred meters away now and closing fast and I realized that my indecision left us with only one option: there was no time to run now, we had to defend ourselves. I crawled to the boarding plank in order to remain undetected and when I passed Aniu she looked at me with a mixture of hope and fear. I knew she wanted me to tell her that we would be alright but I couldn't force myself to say it, so instead I tried for a confident smile and nod. But before I could see her reaction, I turned and continued to the plank.

 _'At least we have the element of surprise.'_ I thought as I tried to reassure myself. the dogs were only twenty meters out now and their barking was louder than ever.

Then they were fifteen meters away...

Then ten...

Then five...

Then three...

My heart raced as I caught the scent of the racing canines that ran towards us and I crouched even lower as I prepared to attack. But when I expected them to stop, they just kept running. They passed the bow, then the middle of the ship, then they swung around the stern and turned towards Nome and raced back at the same breakneck speed, baying the whole time. I stayed glued to the spot, still crouching low, expecting a fight, as I stared after them, dumbstruck. I didn't move until the team had faded from sight and I could no longer hear their infernal barking.

 _'I guess they hadn't found us out after all.'_ I thought, barely believing Aniu and I's luck. As I made my way back to the wheel house, I saw Aniu stick her head out the side door, an expression of pure confusion written across her face.

"Weren't they supposed to attack?"

I couldn't help myself, I laughed. It was a weak, nervous laugh but a laugh none the less. Aniu's confusion only deepened as I walked past her and settled back under the blanket in the small cabin. She soon joined me after one last look northwards and we nestled closer to each other as we prepared to sleep off the mornings excitement.

 _'After all,'_ I reasoned. _'We didn't need to go into Nome at this very moment as we had eaten yesterday and if Aniu had to go too, then we would have better luck at night anyway when there were less people out.'_ I also didn't want to leave Aniu alone after what had just happened. It had scared me to the core and I had the feeling that the sled teams appearance had the same effect on her.

The next time I woke was just before sunset. I sat up and stared into the distance admiring the scene. The sun hung in the western sky over the endless expanse that was the ocean and painted the distant water and ice a dazzling orange while the sky above boasted a vibrant yellow and light pink. The scene was beautiful and timeless. With every passing second a new detail became more distinct while another escaped attention.

But when Aniu woke, sat up, and even yawned, I knew that nothing would ever come anywhere near her beauty. She was more gorgeous than a thousand sunsets and sunrises. The way her gleaming, flawless coat sparkled in the dying light. Her glowing eyes that seemed to contain all the kindness and wisdom in the world. She was the embodiment of perfection itself. When she noticed me staring at her, she graced me with a small smile and nuzzled my neck. I returned the gesture but ended it when I remembered the reason we had woken.

It was time to try our luck in Nome...

 **A/N: Ok everyone remember to try your luck with the riddle and don't forget to review and tell me what you think.**


	38. Nome: Part The Second

**A/N: Alright so how long has it been since I updated? Like a week maybe two, right? "..." wait, what? "..." you're telling me it's been like seven months!? What have I been doing during all that time? "..." HIBERNATING?! I don't hibernate! Screw you, voice in my head.**

 **Well I better get busy then. Thanx to all the people who answered the riddle last time (like three people: TheTARDISLegilimens, Omnitrix 12, and HoboJr2000) and the answer was indeed 'G' so congrats to all of you because you were all right.**

 **The new riddle is:**

 **The poor have me, the rich need me, and if you eat me, you will die. What am I?**

 **38: Nome: Part the Second**

 _It was time to try our luck in Nome..._

I stood up and stretched out my legs. For some reason I was extremely tense and nervous, though just a moment ago I had felt relaxed and at ease. Even the buzz in my head had intensified, as if over-eager to get moving. 'You held on this long, you can wait a little longer' I told it. I didn't know when I had given it a consciousness, but the vibrations seemed to abate, if only slightly.

Aniu stood beside me and loosened up her muscles as well. For a moment we waited, staring at one another, waiting for the other to move first. Finally I broke the trance and nuzzled her lightly. To my surprise, I felt her shaking. "It'll be fine." I told her in as calm a voice as I could muster. She just nodded and led the way out of the wheel house.

I followed and we jumped to the ground from the bulwark. We climbed a nearby hill and looked north to the sprawling town of Nome. We spent a minute there, admiring the way the fading light gleamed off the snow covered roofs and flashed a variety brilliant colours.

But eventually we forced ourselves forward, making our way down the other side of the small hill and setting off towards Nome. It was an easy enough trip and we didn't have to worry much about hiding. No one was this far out and the moving shadows helped conceal our approach.

I wasn't too worried about being seen myself. A dog walking into Nome wasn't an uncommon occurrence after all. But if a wolf should be spotted, especially one with a glittering white coat like Aniu's, every hunter in town would be tripping over each other trying to get to her. I was determined to keep Aniu out of sight.

After about half an hour of walking, we finally reached the outskirts and darted behind a small shack. I whispered to Aniu, "ok, so far so good. From here we need to make our way to the western side of town where my old musher's house used to be. If there is anything that I need to remember it would be there. We need to be careful however, because on the way, there is an open stretch right in front of a big warehouse that the dogs call the boiler room. It's like the meeting place for the entire canine population of the town." I warned. "We could go around the other side of town or cut through but that would take twice as long and raise our chances of being discovered by the humans."

Aniu nodded and gave me a small grin, "what is it you say? Easy as a piece of pudding?"

I smiled back. I knew that she knew the correct proverb, as I had heard her use it before, but she was trying to lighten the mood and for that I was grateful. "Cake. it's a piece of cake." We smiled at each other for a moment more, then I made my way around the side of the building and started moving west.

It wasn't difficult to remain unseen in the fading light and shifting shadows that blanketed the town. It seemed like the entire town was already asleep. We only had a single close call in town when a front door suddenly swung open, revealing a tall red-headed man who was busy putting on a thick fur coat and arguing loudly with someone in another room. "I know it's freezing out but I'm worried about Aurora. She's been behaving strangely and eating a lot lately." He stopped just outside the doorway with his head sticking back in to listen to the other person's reply. It was his hesitation that saved us as we were able to quickly duck out of the bright rectangle of light that the open door cast and behind a different house. "Yes, yes, of course I'll be quick. I just want to make sure she still has food and water for the night. We'll probably have to take her to the vet anyway."

He closed the door behind him and made his way to a small fenced in area on the backside of the house where a small shed leaned against the house. He entered and disappeared inside. I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and I heard Aniu sigh in relief behind me. Once we had steeled our nerves again, we headed out from the shadows and continued west.

We were nearly caught again during the open strip where the warehouse stood a little ways away from the main collection of buildings. We were halfway across and I had finally felt a bit of relief because we had almost made it when two dogs suddenly appeared out of the alley ten meters in front of us. I froze at once and I hope that Aniu had too but I didn't dare turn my head to look.

The two canines, however, didn't have eyes for us as two more dogs followed the first out. The back two were obviously females and the two dogs leading must have been males by the way they kept glancing over their shoulder to stare dreamily at their companions. The females pretended not to notice, but made it all too apparent that they did by the swing in their hips and raised noses. They were obviously used to the attention and enjoyed it. If the four had perhaps not been so wrapped up in the other sex, they probably would have noticed us and we would have been done for. But as it was, they didn't even glance in our direction while they paraded to the boiler room and closed the door behind them.

We waited an extra five minutes, not moving and barely breathing, to make sure there were no other dogs and none would come back out. Finally we continued on our journey and once we were in the relative safety of another house, we relaxed for a moment to let out the tension of the last few minutes.

Just before we were to resume our seemingly endless trek, Aniu gazed back in the direction of the warehouse and scoffed. "Males." she said, and as I noticed how breathtakingly beautiful she looked even as she glared into the distance, I couldn't help thinking that she was absolutely right.

At last we made it to our destination. My owner's old oceanside house. I remembered how it used to look, with it's freshly painted shutters and cleared roof. But now the paint was peeling in the harsh conditions and there was a gaping hole in the roof where the heavy snow had caved it in. It looked so unfamiliar, especially without the lazy curl of smoke drifting from the old stone chimney, that I thought I had the wrong place. But this was it and for a moment, I just sat there in the middle of the road and stared sadly at it.

I had so many memories tied to this place. The first time I had been in a different house than the one I was born in. The first time I had gone swimming when the ice melted all the way to the shore. And of course there were the dozens of times that my human and I would sit out on the back porch as we dozed and watched the sun set out over the ocean. All these memories swarmed and flew around my mind as I stood staring at my old home.

Aniu finally brought me back to reality when she sat down next to me and leaned against me. I glanced down at her, then back at the house and heaved a great shuddering sigh. "I wish you could of seen it in it's better days. It used to be much cheerier."

"If you lived here, I can imagine." She whispered back and I let a sad smile split my lips. "from your descriptions, I was able to roughly guess at what it would look like, but you never mentioned that hint over there." She was indicating a low stand to the side of the house with several items resting on it. They were hard to make out in the moonlight, so I walked closer and realized that it was a memorial. In memory of My owner and team.

On it sat eight burned out candles, one for each dog and our musher. There were also several wilted and dried out flowers but on top of all of them was a single fresh wildflower. I wasn't exactly an expert botanist but I was pretty sure I knew the name of this particular type of flower. But for some reason I couldn't put my paw on it. Before I could think anymore on the matter, Aniu hissed out a warning.

"Someone's coming!" She whisper-yelled. I turned and caught a faint canine scent on the breeze. But it was getting stronger.

I desperately looked around for somewhere to hide but the only place was inside the house. I really didn't want to go in there though. It was just to painful. But there was nowhere else so we dashed inside and hid just inside the doorway so we could see out.

We were just in time as a light golden-yellow dog appeared around the corner of a house a few meters down the street just as Aniu got her tail through the doorway. Again I got that feeling of familiarity, but still couldn't pin it down long enough to recognize it.

As the new dog got closer, I realized she was female and saw that she carried a flower in her mouth. And it was a marigold, the same kind as the one on top of the pile of deceased flowers resting on the memorial. As we watched, she placed the fresh flower on top of the pile and pulled the old one of and set it down beside her. Then she sat down and just stared at the memorial.

Aniu and I didn't dare breathe as we waited for the strange dog to leave, but she didn't so we stayed. Finally, the female got up and made to leave but as she bent to pick pick up the flower to take back with her, she paused and sniffed at the ground. At first she seemed alarmed, then confused, as she continued to sniff the street. I knew we had been discovered and waited for her to either call for more dogs or go get humans.

But then she did something that surprised me. She followed our scent all the way to the front of the house and stood there, confusion and shock written across her face. It was then that I got my first good look at her features and I realized why this dog was so familiar. The flower, the regular visits to the cairn as if she had a personal connection with it... It all fell into place.

I stepped out from the shadows and the female recoiled with surprise. I sat in the doorway and waited for her to compose herself once again.

But she only seemed to be getting more worked up as she inhaled large quantities of air at a time. "No! No, you're supposed to be dead! You all died! How are you here Uncle Trajan?" She shouted and fumed at me, shaking her head and blinking, as if she was hallucinating. "HOW ARE YOU HERE!?"

Finally I spoke, "Hello, Marigold."

 **A/N: DUN, DUN, DUN! Uh oh, uh oh indeed. What will happen next? How is this new dog related to Trajan if his family is all dead? How will she react to Aniu? All these questions and more (including the riddle, so remember to try and be the first three-five to PM me) will be answered next chapter!**


	39. The Past

**A/N: Hello again, people of Earth… So here's the next update, chapter 39… wow, we are really getting up there in the number of chapters for this story.**

 **By the way, the answer to the last riddle was 'nothing.' Two guests got it but I can't recognize them by name or if they are even different people or the same person reviewing more than once. The users that got it were Wdlowry and Uzofire so congrats to them!**

 **The new riddle is:**

 **"You see me in the water but I never get wet. what am I?"**

 **39: The Past**

"No, No, No! This can't be real. This is a trick! How could you have survived? Your bodies were lost in a snow storm and buried too deep to find! They sent parties out for weeks looking for you! How are you here now?!" Marigold finally paused for breath, which was what I was waiting for.

"I'm sorry for the sudden appearance Mari, but I didn't want to be seen or heard from when I came back. Better for everybody to believe I'm dead than to know the truth. It would only confuse and frighten them, which could quite possibly turn to anger if I were to be exposed." I kept my tone even and soft, trying to calm her down.

Her ears perked right up and through gritted teeth she growled, "And what is the truth?" I saw no way around telling her and I felt like she could probably be trusted, so long as I didn't antagonize her further, so I decided to commit Aniu's safety, as well as my own, to her judgement.

"Aniu, darling, would you please come out here? It might help explain things…" I trailed off. I noticed Marigold's surprise when I'd addressed Aniu and I didn't think it was because there was someone else hiding. When I lived in Nome I had never really gotten close with any of the female dogs and to hear me address someone as 'darling,' must have been a shock. The only female I'd really gotten to know at all had been Maverick's mate, Daisy, Marigold's mother.

A flash of white in the corner of my eye drew me from my thoughts and I turned to see Aniu standing beside me, slightly crouched and ready for whatever action might be needed. If I thought Marigold had been surprised before, she was absolutely stunned now. It didn't last, however, as she let out a menacing growl and began circling to Aniu's exposed flank. Aniu, always the experienced fighter, turned with her, issuing a warning snarl of her own.

"That's enough of that, I think." I told them both. I tried to keep my voice level and low, trying to remain in control. "She means you nor any other dog, or human, in this town harm, Mari." I stepped between them before things moved beyond warning growls. As an aside to Aniu, I whispered, "behave, We're a little in over our heads here and if we don't want to get caught we need Mari to like us."

Aniu sniffed and lifted her nose, "she started it." I actually took a half-step back and stared wide-eyed in shock at my mate-to-be. Never before had I heard her say something so immature, so… _childish_.

 _'Somethings bothering her.'_ I thought. _'But I'll have to look into that later, right now there are other things that need to be addressed.'_ I swung my gaze to meet Marigold's who had stopped circling but now stood crouched and on her toes, mirroring Aniu's own ready stance. I took a deep breath. "Alright. Now that we got that out of the way lets all agree to just talk for a moment, shall we?"

I aimed a meaningful glance at Aniu and with what seemed like reluctance, she eased. But not to the point of complete relaxation, I noticed. A moment later, Marigold did the same. "Good. Now lets get to the point. Mari I am sorry to tell you but I was the only survivor of the sled crash, and I was extremely fortunate to have lived at all. I really wouldn't have made it if I didn't have what you might call a guardian angel stumble upon me just in time." I smiled as I recalled my first thought when I saw Aniu and I turned to share a smile with her.

Marigold saw the look and rolled her eyes in exasperation."Why did the sled crash in the first place? You were a good lead dog. How did everyone die?" She asked, bringing us back on topic.

I vented a heavy sigh, not wanting to remember that awful time. "If you want the whole story, I suggest you make yourself comfortable. It's quite long." I waited while she sat slowly, still tense. I sighed again. Aniu laid herself down delicately and closed her eyes, having heard the story before. She didn't sleep though, her ears remained upright and alert. She seemed to be mostly trusting Marigold for the moment but I didn't know how long it would last.

I took a long look at the last light of the day as it slowly slipped under the horizon, leaving the world blanketed in shadow. My heart clenched with pain and I took a deep breath, preparing to begin my tale…

"If you remember, there was a large storm from the east about to blow in as we were leaving. Our musher wanted to ride out and face it instead of being caught in town. He figured if we made it to the heavy forest and mountains we'd be sheltered better, and if we had stopped there, we would have been.

"For two days we battled the storm. We stopped to sleep the first night in the mountains and we should have remained there for the rest of it too. But our musher was eager to be off so we harnessed back up and continued through. He believed that the worst of the storm was behind us and we'd be clear as soon as we hit the tail end of it. By midmorning of the second day we were out of the mountains and realized we'd made a mistake. We were smashed by battering winds that drove ice shards clear through our fur and stung our noses and eyes. We could barely see the ends of our own muzzles, the swirling snow was so thick. Our musher insisted that we were near the end of the storm and if we kept going we would come through. So again we pushed on. The only way I could discern the trail from the rest of the surrounding forest was the power and strength of the wind as it blew through the open space, but even then it was near impossible. We kept forcing our way forward, no longer running but reduced to a slow crawl as we struggled with each step"

I paused, remembering the feeling, or rather numbness, of the past. I shivered and I heard Aniu whimper in sympathy. Marigold stared at me with her piercing blue eyes, and I was left with a stony silence. I cleared my throat and continued.

"Finally, near the end of that day, we felt a change in the storm. It seemed less intense, less vicious than before. We hoped it was finally coming to an end and with each passing minute the wind died slightly and the snow swirled a little less enthusiastically. We were exuberant and as soon as we were able, the musher set us into a steady lope once again and we were happy to follow.

"To make up for the time lost, we continued running later into the night. Snow was still swirling around us and the wind was still fierce but we were excited to be done with the worst of it. If only we'd known how false our hope was. After the storm finally let up we didn't notice the wind starting to pickup again the snow falling faster and thicker. As it turned out, we had only enjoyed a brief respite from the feral storm, a calm pocket, as it were. When we finally noticed that the blizzard was indeed not over, our human insisted we just had to keep going, it would end eventually, just keep pushing. So on we went and this was the final mistake that led to our destruction. The wind still cut at us and chilled our bones but we were able to run still.

"We were rounding a bend when I heard the loud snap that spelled our fate. A tree limb, hanging over the trail, laden with the weight of the heavy snow and beaten at nonstop by the wind, finally broke free and came tumbling down, landing just in front of the sled but behind the last dog with a fatal _'whumpf'_ and pinning the harness line down. We were all choked and yanked back as our straps caught and the sled stopped dead, tossing our musher up and over our heads to come crashing back down against a boulder covered in thick snow. Not thick enough, however, to soften his landing. He hit the rock head first and crumpled to the ground, never to move again. We barked and called to him trying to rouse him but it was pointless and we knew it. Our lines and straps were too tangled for us to undue and the tough leather was frozen and unable to be chewed through. We were trapped in the open without shelter, waiting to die.

"I called us together and we laid down against one another, trying to preserve our body heat. I set myself down next to your father, Marigold, and I don't ever think I will forget the look in his eyes in that moment. Somehow they were filled with hope. Hope that we would make it through this, hope that we would survive, hope that one day we could look back and even shiver slightly at only a faint memory of that night. But most of all, hope that he would see his family again. I wanted so badly to be able to promise him we would be ok, that we would make it, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force the words from my mouth. It might have been the cold drying out my throat and making speaking impossible, but I think it was more likely that I wouldn't have believed the words had I said them.

I kept talking before the emotion of the moment could catch up with me, but my throat was tight as I continued…

"I knew we couldn't last long unless some form of help arrived, no matter how unlikely. I was desperate for a way to keep us all alive but I couldn't think of anything and the freezing cold was slowing my mind. I quickly found it difficult to think and repeatedly shook my head to try and clear it but nothing worked. I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper, getting colder and colder as my body shut down on me. I saw it happening to the other dogs too. They were closing their eyes and somehow I could see the life slowly leaving them. I wanted to call out to them, to inspire them to hold on a little longer, to fight the cold. But it was no use, one by one they left and eventually, it was just Maverick and I. I looked to him for strength and he to me, both of us unable to speak, communicating with only our eyes, drawing life from one another. I could see the cold getting to him too though. I saw it's icy fingers wrapping around him and could feel them on me too but we kept fighting. we stayed alive.

"But it wasn't enough. Like all the others he left too, leaving me in the cold alone. Just before he died he looked at me and in his eyes I saw a message, _'tell them I love them.'_ I wanted to cry and howl at the cruelty of it all but I managed a single nod. He smiled and closed his eyes and that was it."

I stopped, gazing at Marigold to see her reaction. For a long time she did nothing but stare at the horizon. Finally, I saw a tear trace it's way down her face and she closed her eyes tight. Lowering her head, she began sobbing and I moved forward to comfort her in anyway I could. I tried to sit next to her and nuzzle her neck but she moved away. "I'm fine. Finish the story." She told me, her voice surprisingly firm. She was no longer crying, only sniffling slightly and I was impressed by her resolve to hear the story to it's end. I backed away to sit by Aniu again, who nuzzled me, and I kept going.

"After I lost Maverick I knew I was going to die out there. It wouldn't have been right for me to live and the rest of my team to die. I was about to rest my head down on his neck and close my eyes when I saw my survival, my saving grace. Of course I didn't know it at the time though, I was delirious from the cold. Aniu had been out hunting and got sidetracked by a strange scent, that led her straight to us. She arrived too late to save the others but just in time to save me. I passed out immediately after I saw her."

I turned to look at Aniu, who was all too obviously avoiding eye contact. "She likes to think she was just too stunning for my mere mortal eyes to gaze upon but that's her opinion." I said, stressing the last word. I saw the corner of her mouth twitch slightly, then finished the story.

"I later woke in a cave with Aniu and she brought me to her pack, where I've been living ever since. And that's pretty much it."

 **A/N: well thats it for this chapter. Now we all know what happened leading up to the sled crash and Marigold knows too. By the way, anyone notice that Mari's mother is also named after a flower? What do you guys think, too much? Next chapter we get to see Mari's reaction among other things...**

 **Well just be sure to answer the riddle and please PM me and don't post it in a review 'cause that kind of defeats the purpose of the competition.**

 **Thanx y'all,**

 **WolfOfRome**


	40. Betrayal

**A/N: well lets dive straight into the review. Trajan and Aniu have made it to Nome, first sneaking away from the pack, and are holed up in an old boat that is somehow very familiar… they were terrified to death by the sudden appearance of a sled team but were unbothered by them. On their first excursion into Nome itself, they made it all the way to Trajan's old home where they met with Marigold, Trajan's dead best friend's daughter, his niece, in a friendly, not family way. And he spent the entire last chapter explaining the events leading up to her father's death. Wow, so much has happened.**

 **The answer to the riddle is your reflection and the master riddlers are vburro08 and JAVann360.**

 **The new riddle is: what is broken the moment you say its name?**

 **40: Betrayal**

For a long time, nothing was said. I sat waiting for a response, but it wasn't forthcoming. I looked to Aniu, who was staring at Marigold. She seemed tense, ready. I glanced back to Mari, but she was still staring at her paws. I was nervous too, I had no idea how Mari would react. I cautiously stepped forward, approaching her slowly, trying to see her face.

"Mari, say something. Please?" I couldn't take her silence any longer, it was killing me.

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" Was the mumbled response.

"What?" I asked, unsure I had heard her correctly.

"I said, Why didn't you come back sooner?" She was suddenly standing, feet spread apart, anger flowing off of her. "Why did you wait so long? We mourned your death! All of your deaths! We were left with nothing when you disappeared, no comfort no assurance! Nothing!" She was panting heavily now, a wild look in her eyes. "If you were here you could have helped us. If you were here Mom might have..." She looked away, but I caught the pain on her face before she could hide it.

I was almost afraid to ask my next question, but I had to know. "Mari, what happened to your mother?" I kept my voice soft, understanding.

"She's dead." Mari practically spat at me. "But don't pretend like you care. If you cared you would have come back sooner. You would have been here for us. My siblings and I have been alone for years now, but we learned to take care of ourselves and we have good owners." She narrowed her eyes then. "Don't even think about going anywhere near them. If I find out that you did, I don't care if you're my uncle, I will call every single dog and hunter in this town down on the both of you. They might not shoot at you immediately, but when they see you defending your wolf lover over there and attacking their dogs, they won't hesitate."

I took an involuntary step back. I couldn't believe Marigold was threatening me. And pretty seriously too. After all the fun and laughter we'd shared in her puppyhood, it was too much to process. I would have likely stood there all night if Aniu's snarl hadn't brought me back to reality. I cleared my head and shot her a pleading look. She ignored it and continued pacing forward slowly, obviously intent on Marigold, who was growling as well.

"Aniu, Marigold. Please, there's no need for violence. Mari, if you do not wish to see me ever again, I understand. Aniu and I will leave, but lets not make this bloody." I was beginning to panic. ' _If a fight breaks out, someone will hear it and come to investigate. Aniu and I would be discovered before we even find our reason for coming here.'_ I thought to myself.

Aniu seemed to register my words and stopped moving, though her lips didn't uncurl and her fangs were very much visible. Marigold was still snarling too, though she had also stopped moving.

"I think it would be best if I never saw either of you ever again." She enunciated each word very precisely making sure her threat was heard loud and clear. Concealing my heartbreak, I only nodded and stepped in front of Aniu, blocking her view of Mari and hiding the hurt on my face.

"Come on darling, there is nothing to be won through a fight, Only something to lose." I was sure the pain was evident in my voice, so I kept my voice low enough for only her to hear. I was still in disbelief that Marigold was being so hostile towards me, after all we had done together.

Aniu must have heard my grief for she straightened from her aggressive stance and looked hard at me but I wouldn't meet her eyes. "Very well, my Love." she said, then turned to Mari. "But know that I only back down from this fight because he thinks it unworthy of effort. You do not scare me, dog. If he did not recommend otherwise, and I did not trust his judgement, I would kill for making such a threat against my mate and I. And I would do it again for hurting him in the manner that you just did." She glared at Mari fiercely who returned her gaze evenly, before turning away.

I glanced a final time at Marigold, anger and betrayal obvious in every line of her pose, and remembered her as a pup. Then looked once at my old home, now a shadow of it's former self. ' _So much has changed.'_ I thought sadly, shaking my head as I turned my back and followed Aniu away from everything I had once loved...

It was a while before we spoke again, Aniu and I. We stalked back to our boat without a single incident, wrapped in our own silence. When we arrived, Aniu went straight into the cabin and settled down, her back to me. I sighed and moved to the bow, hopping onto the stack of crates and gazing miserably at the sprinkling of lights that was my childhood home.

I couldn't help thinking over all that had gone wrong. What _I_ had done wrong. ' _Perhaps coming here hadn't been the best idea.'_ I reminisced miserably. My future wife was mad at me for some reason, My niece hates me, this stupid buzzing wouldn't go away, and we were stuck out here, packless and clueless as to what to do next. Not to mention there was a team of sled dogs that had most likely discovered our presence by now.

I felt sick to my stomach and put it down to restlessness and nerves before it actually grumbled. I realized we hadn't eaten in at least a day and I was hungry. Sighing again, I sulked back to cabin, and seeing Aniu asleep and breathing evenly, gave her a quick lick on the head. I reassured myself that it was the middle of the night and no one would come out this way looking for us, before hopping to the ice below and going out in search of food.

It was a long walk to the forest and a longer walk to find a scent. The animals gave the town a wide berth after learning the humans were just as dangerous as any natural predator. I finally got a whiff of a rabbit den only a kilometer or so away and set off in pursuit.

It wasn't difficult killing the two sleeping forms inside, once I dug them out of course. I prepared and ate one of them to settle my stomach, then lifted the other and started back to our hideout. When I got there, Aniu was still sleeping and hadn't moved so I dropped the rabbit just outside the cabin for her to eat at her own leisure. I settled down next to her, though not touching her, and rested my head on the rough boards. I doubted I would be able to sleep, but I must have been more tired than I thought, because as soon as I closed my eyes, I began to dream and boy did it suck...

 **A/N: Shorter chapter than what I have been doing but I am trying to ease myself back into this story after so much time away from it. I've been writing other stuff and lost interest in this for a good long time, but I figured I at least owed it to you guys to finish the story. Only a few chapters left anyway so it should end soon. Sorry but the plot demands the story end, all the critical events have happened by now, and I've just been dragging it out selfishly. Anyway, review, comment, PM me the answer to the riddle and whatnot.**

 **Ave Atque Vale,**

 **WolfOfRome**


	41. New Friend

**A/N: So chapter 41, wow. That's a big number. If I didn't have my toes I don't think I'd be able to count that high. Let's see what the author of this story has in store for us this time.**

 **The answer to the riddle was silence and vburro08 figured it out again so yeah! It has come to my attention however, that these riddles might be to easy so I will be stepping it up a notch and see if anyone gets it then...**

 **The next riddle is:**

 **A wonderful warrior exists on earth.**

 **Two dumb creatures make him grow bright between them.**

 **Enemies use him against one another.**

 **His strength is fierce but a woman can tame him.**

 **He will meekly serve both men and women**

 **If they know the trick of looking after him**

 **And feeding him properly.**

 **He makes people happy.**

 **He makes their lives better.**

 **But if they let him grow proud**

 **This ungrateful friend soon turns against them.**

 **41: New "Friend"**

My dream started off with me running through an endless maze of trees, through blinding snow and freezing wind. For a minute I thought it was a repeat of my crash with the team but I noticed that there was no harness and no dogs following behind me. I was alone and barreling through the woods at top speed, not knowing where I was going but with a sense of dread building in my gut.

As I was running I also noticed subtle differences in myself as well. My coat felt thicker and warmer, my tail longer and my head higher off the ground. I felt that I could grip the slippery earth better as well but seemed unable to look down to find out why.

finally I saw a light through the storm. It flickered and wavered uncertainly but it held strong. I aimed for it and poured on even more speed. As I got closer though, I saw that it wasn't just a single light, but several, spread out in a line. The light was promising safety and shelter from the terrible blizzard and I felt like I couldn't reach it soon enough. Then I heard the sound of dogs barking, and I rushed forward even faster. It got louder and I was soon able to understand them, but they didn't speak of welcome or safety, it was aggression and hate instead. I tried to stop, to slow myself down even, but I wasn't in control of my own body anymore and I kept on running until the light was right in front of me and I stood within it's circle of illumination. I blinked in confusion, trying to adjust, when I heard humans shouting, loud and angry, right in front of me.

"Here's one of the beasts! Rifles out men. Shoot it now!" Said a man standing only a few meters from me, his lantern swinging wildly in the wind. I looked around for whatever creature they were talking about but realized quickly that they were beginning to take aim at me.

In the light of the lantern I was able to look down at myself truly for the first time and that's when I noticed the huge paws and hanging scruff from my chest. I looked behind me and saw a large furry tail that was much bigger than I remembered my own being. That's when it hit me; I was a wolf. And these humans were intent on killing me. I turned tail and ran into the shadows once again as fast as I could just as the first guns went off, shouts and howls following me back into the storm.

I had to get away from these humans. There was no way I could explain to them that I wasn't really a wolf and I doubted the other dogs would listen before they let their humans fill me with bullets and hang me on their walls.

I flew through the forest looking for any sign of escape, anywhere to hide. It wasn't long before things started looking familiar, scents bringing back memories of pleasant winter days spent with friends around a caribou feast or cuddling with the owner of the vibrant golden eyes that captured me every time I gazed into their depths. I knew I was close to the pack's headquarters and I swung myself in the right direction. If there were hunters around they had to know about it; they were all at risk.

I saw the opening in the trees that led into the canyon entrance but something was very wrong. As I hurtled out of the underbrush I stopped dead in my tracks, horror clutching at every fiber of my being. Before me lay the canyon but where it had once filled me with a sense of comfort it now only carried despair. The broken and bloodied bodies of my pack were strewn about carelessly, as if they had been picked up and tossed without a second glance. And that wasn't the worst of it. The whole canyon was on fire. A bright menacing orange blaze was destroying everything within the valley without exception. Just before they were consumed by the flames, I saw the bodies of Alaquis and Matra, Baron and Maia and their pups, lying lifeless next to their parents. Then the fire roared forward and they were gone.

I wanted to run through the smoke and flames to their aid and pull them from the destruction but I knew there was no point and they were already dead. I was too shocked to do much more than stare. I could feel wetness upon my cheeks but I did nothing to clear the tears. All of my friends who had just perished deserved the tears and I would not deny them my grief.

But I was only allowed to honour them for a few moments because behind me I could hear the insistent yapping of hunting dogs and the calls of their men, encouraging them on. I knew I had to survive for my pack, if nothing else, I had to survive. And Aniu was still out there somewhere. She hadn't been with the pack and she could be in danger. I turned my back on my lost family and disappeared into the trees, running forward blindly, hopping to come across some trace of Aniu and escape the hunters tailing me.

I lost control of my body and my dream took over again. I was running in a new direction, crashing through bushes and shrubbery that cut at and tangled my fur but I didn't care, I had to reach Aniu and I was certain that's where I was being led.

The trees opened suddenly and I found myself on the same plain the great battle had taken place on. But I was welcomed by a gruesome sight here as well. Wolves, several weeks dead, lay on the cold ground, half buried in snow and crusted over with frost. They had begun to decay and their fur was stiff and lifeless.

but in the center of the field stood my one and only love. Aniu shone out amongst the corpses, regal and very much alive. I could hear her calling out for me, frantically searching left and right for any trace. Her back was to me so I rushed forward to meet her, but before I got halfway a black force crashed into me from the side and I was thrown off my feet. I rolled and when I looked back I saw a sight that terrified me even more. There stood Alva, alive and well as ever, his legs bent for combat, his fangs out and flashing, but through them I could hear his sinister laugh.

His eyes glowed as orange as the flames that consumed my home when he said, "did you honestly think you had won, Mutt? That I wouldn't return and take back what is mine." his poisonous glare slid over to Aniu who was still wandering around in confusion. Alva chuckled again. "She thinks you abandoned her you know. Even now she searches for you, yet she will never find you, because now you die."

And with that he pounced at me and I had to quickly roll out of the way to avoid being bitten in half. Alva was fast though and he still caught me by the hind leg, crushing it between his teeth. I cried out in pain, and Alva laughed again. I tried to stand on my other three legs and could barely support myself. I had to attack Alva before he got another shot at me because I wouldn't be able to dodge it.

I made a wild lunge for his throat but he easily sidestepped and my own neck was left exposed. Alva's jaws closed around me and I felt his teeth pierce my wind pipe. I waited for him to bite clean through my spine, knowing I had lost, but he didn't and instead released me to fall in a heap on the snow and ice, gasping and struggling to breath as blood filled my lungs. "Oh no, you didn't think I'd let you have an easy and painless death did you? No, no, no. You are going to suffer through this. You already saw what the humans did to your home, now you are going to watch me slaughter your wife. Just don't die on me too soon, I want you to witness it all."

I tried again to rise but my muscles weren't responding. I could see blood staining the ground beneath me, slowly ebbing out and away from my body. I could feel darkness encroaching the edges of my vision, making things go numb and the world turn black. But burning as bright as the sun was Aniu, with the dark cloud of Alva creeping up behind her. I watched helplessly as he reached her, his jaws opening above her neck as she stood oblivious to the lethal danger that lurked so close. I wanted to scream out to her, to run, to fight, anything but this murder. But the only sound I made was a sick gurgling noise as the blackness crept closer.

Alva's snout snapped shut around Aniu's neck and she yelped in pain, struggling to escape the death grip. But as I looked on in absolute horror, Alva made a quick shake of his head and even at this distance I heard the bones in Aniu's neck snap and saw her form crumble and go still. My heart stopped beating in that moment, whether from my wounds or Aniu's death I didn't know but it was too much and I slowly closed my eyes, Alva's laughter and howl of victory still ringing through my head as I attempted a last breath and died.

I still heard Alva's howl as I woke with a start, shivering and panting hard. It was early morning and the sun hadn't fully risen yet, the world still slightly shrouded in shadow. Aniu was already on her feet, shaking me and whispering in a panic. "They have found us! Trajan we must depart now or it will be too late!" For a moment I was too stunned to respond, seeing Aniu alive and healthy, even terrified as she obviously was now, made my heart soar with joy. I must have looked as confused as I felt because Aniu hissed at me again, "The dogs, Trajan. they are coming and the human is carrying a gun this time. We must leave."

It took me a while to realize that I was indeed still hearing howls, but they weren't the remnants of my dream and were actually very real. And they sounded close. I scampered to my feet and jumped for the gunwale peering towards town. Sure enough a dogsled with a full team was bearing down on us, less than a kilometer away now, and the human did in fact look to be in possession of a long shape that resembled a rifle. I turned from the railing and back to Aniu, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

"Alright you need to make a run for the trees now. If you keep the boat between you and them, they shouldn't be able to spot you." At the question in her eyes I continued. "I'll stay here and try to cover your scent and tracks as much as I can, then distract them when they arrive. You have to go now though if you're going to make it to cover before they get here."

"I will not abandon you now, not when we have come so far. How will you keep them from killing you." She whisper-yelled at me. "We will both go."

"And then they follow our scent and hunt us down. We have no other choice. You are not abandoning me, and I know you never will. But you must trust me on this, I am a dog, they will ask questions before they shoot me, but the same cannot be said for you." I tried to express all my love for her in my eyes but she looked down without meeting them. "I will come for you when it is safe again."

She looked up then, and I saw enough love and concern in her eyes to rivaled my own. "Fine, but I am not pleased with this, not pleased at all. You had better be careful and not get yourself killed or I am going to march back over here and kill you myself. Again." And before I could say goodbye she turned and leaped over the side, shooting towards the safety of the forest as soon as she hit the ground.

I followed her over the side then ran a short distance after her, only a couple of meters, then swept my tail across her tracks and my own trying to clear them enough to pass inspection. I could hear the dogs getting closer now and I increased my pace. Once that was done, I climbed back on board and began rolling across the deck, trying to cover Aniu's scent with my own. I even went so far as to urinate in a few places that smelled strongly of her. I just finished the last spot when the team pulled to a stop just off the bow.

the human set to the task of unstrapping his dogs, and I was all too aware of his gun bouncing against his back. As soon as all the dogs were free, the lead dog, a large black and white malamute, huffed and sent two dogs sniffing around the circumference of the ship while the rest proceeded to board. I stood calmly as they stepped onto the rough planks, fanning out on either side of the leader. The human was still clearing up the tackle of the sled.

I turned my attention back towards the dogs and curtly said, "you know, I don't think it's polite to board a ship before asking permission."

The lead dog snarled at me. "Shut it, stray! We are looking for a wolf and we know it's here, we smelled it yesterday." To his retinue he said, "spread out, turn this piece of crap upside down and find that wolf."

They did as he ordered, several going below deck and others moving to the bow and cabin. "I don't know what you fellas think you're going to find. I'm the only one out here and it's been that way for a while now. Not much luck with the ladies, you see." I tried to give the leader my sleeziest smile, and he turned away in disgust. I silently gave myself a point. ' _Me: 1, Tall and Egotistical: 0.'_

"So what's it like 'round here, chief? A lot of fun to be had, or dull, boring stuff like dogsled competitions?" I saw him stiffen at that, and though I knew it was a dangerous tactic, I had to keep his attention on me. "It seems that's all there is to do in Alaska, and it's all folks talk about. Dogsled racing this, dogsled racing that... really quite dreary, don't you think chief?"

He snapped then. Striding forward he got right in my face and I wanted to stand my ground tall and firm, but I knew that wasn't the part I was playing, so I lowered my self into submission. "You must be the stupidest mutt in the entire state to talk to me like that, runt. Do you know who I am? I am the Great Akiak, three time Nome champion lead dog. You will show me more respect. Understand?" He spit the last words and I felt a big globule of it land on my snout. I shook it off quickly and stuttered an apology.

He turned away, looking far too self satisfied. His dogs had finished their search by now and hadn't found so much as a scent, but it seemed that the "Great Akiak" had forgotten all about it. The musher had climbed the side of the ship and peered around disinterestedly before calling his team back. With a final distasteful sneer at me, the lead dog snatched up the rabbit I had been saving for Aniu and departed down the boarding plank, his throaty chuckle following him. As I watched him get harnessed back to the sled, I was forced to concede him a point. ' _Me: 1, Overbearing and Obviously Compensating: 1. Tie game, my friend, for now...'_

 **A/N: well thats the end of that. I think this is one of the best chapters I've ever written if I do say so myself. Remember review, comment, answer the riddle and all that jazz.**

 **Ave Atque Vale**

 **WolfOfRome**


	42. The Chapter

**A/N: Well this is "The Chapter" if you get my meaning. I mean what chapter better than chapter 42, the meaning of life, the universe, everything, to write this chapter? If you still don't get it you'll figure it out when I warn for suggestive themes in this chapter and why this story is rated T. This is also a very short chapter just cause...**

 **The answer to the riddle was fire and someone signed in as a Guest got it so woohoo!**

 **New Riddle:**

 **I was abandoned by my mother and father.**

 **I wasn't yet breathing.**

 **A kind woman covered me with clothes,**

 **Kept me and looked after me,**

 **Cuddled me as close as if I had been her own child.**

 **Under that covering I grew and grew.**

 **I was unkind to my adopted brothers and sisters.**

 **This lovely woman fed me**

 **Until I was big enough to set out on my own.**

 **She had fewer of her own dear sons and daughters because she did so.**

 **What am I?**

 **42: The Chapter...**

It took me longer than I expected to find Aniu. I set out following her scent across the ice and into the forest but after passing just a little ways into the trees, her scent began to fade. I snorted in frustration and began to worry when I couldn't determine which direction in which she had gone. I hoped it was just her own precaution to sway and confuse pursuers but even I, with a wolf trained nose was unable to trace her.

I decided to choose the most likely path and one that smelled slightly stronger and more promising and try it. My worry began eating me from the inside out until I told myself to breathe and relax. She was probably just out hunting, or farther into the tree line, thats all. If I couldn't find her now, I could go back to the open plain and wait there for her to return. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

I continued on my selected path for several hours, praying to the spirits I would come across any small trace of my mate, and before I knew it, the sun had reached its zenith and started to descend. My hope was dwindling ever smaller as time moved on unstoppably and I still found nothing.

I was just about to give up and retreat back to the boat when a scent hit my nose. It was Aniu! Undoubtedly. And she was close too. I turned in her direction and all out sprinted, relief and apprehension battling in my mind. ' _At last, I found her! But what if she's hurt?'_

I thought over and over again.

My headlong dash brought me into a small clearing with a pond and stream leading into it. Aniu stood before the pond, her back to me, calmly drinking the sparkling water. "It took you long enough to find me. I've killed three hares and a goose and already eaten my share. The carcasses are over there if you wish." She pointed out the meal with a flick of her snout and went back to drinking.

But I didn't pay any attention to the food, My eyes were locked on her and my body rushed forward, seemingly of it's own accord, and suddenly I was nuzzling Aniu. She made a noise of surprise, but eagerly returned my affections. "You had me so worried!" The words rushed out of my mouth and I couldn't stop them. "You've come so far from the ship and when I lost your scent early on I feared the worst. How could you do that to me?" I didn't want to sound angry, and I don't think I did, but the hurt in my voice was enough to make her look at me.

"I'm sorry I worried you but I thought it was necessary in case the dogs followed me despite your efforts. After all, would you rather I get found by hunters or cause you a bit of concern for a few hours?" She answered me, a slight smirk on her muzzle. I could hardly argue with that argument but I muttered about how it was more than a 'little concern' but at her look I quickly shut up.

I sat next to her and took a sip of the crystal clear water before us. It was refreshingly cold and delicious. I smacked my lips appreciatively and glanced at Aniu, but she seemed deep in thought, a slight frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. I nudged her playfully but she didn't respond. I tried again and received the same result. I tried to meet her eyes but she avoided it and looked down. I remembered my observation of her I made the previous day and decided to pursue it.

"Darling." I began, in order to get her attention. "You've seemed distracted and upset recently. Is there something bothering you, because you know I'd do everything to help you and you can tell me anything, right?" I punctuated my words with a lick to her nose and she smiled slightly before sighing heavily.

"I suppose there is something weighing on my mind. I can't shake the feeling that we will never see our home again. That this is it. Our fate is tied to this place, Love, I can feel it. I can't explain, but I just know it. I feel a great sorrow coming but the opportunity for greatness as well. And somehow you and I are pivotal to it. These events are not imminent and I don't even think they are in our future, but rather the future of..."

She broke of, unwilling to finish but I knew what she was going to say. "Our children." I finished for her. She looked up at me with soft golden eyes, and swallowed hard. In the fading light of the setting sun, it was difficult to tell if she was crying. I leaned over to kiss her and she met me in the middle.

Time seemed to slow down for me and I became lost in the feeling of her fur and body beneath it. I know the pack would look down upon what happened next, especially since we weren't even announced official mates yet, but if it wasn't after that, I didn't know what could possibly make it more "official."

 **A/N: ;)**


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